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UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad has revealed that his father was forced to shut down his cell phone store in Chicago. The 32-year-old said it wouldn't have been feasible for his family to invest in the business to get the store running again.
Currently ranked No.13 in the welterweight division, Muhammad secured a win over Dhiego Lima last weekend at UFC 258. He is set to fight Leon Edwards on March 13 as a replacement for Khamzat Chimaev, who was forced to withdraw from the fight due to COVID-19 complications.
The store that Muhammad's father owned was vandalized and looted during the Black Lives Matter protests in June last year. In an interview with Sportskeeda, Muhammad reflected on the unfortunate incident that saw the store being shut down.
"Unfortunately, we had to close the store. It was just going to be too hard, and too much money to put it back in. And just with the whole COVID thing, a lot of businesses in Chicago closed down because people weren't coming out... I guess that maybe it was a blessing that it got looted and happened that way, instead of us just trying to hold on to it for the next couple of years and not getting any business at all. It was hard, but like I said, everything happens for a reason, something great is going to come from it," said Belal Muhammad.
Belal Muhammad eyes to break into the welterweight division title picture
Belal Muhammad is riding a four-fight win streak ahead of his clash against Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 187. The Chicago native has only lost one bout in his previous nine outings, suggesting that he may give his highly ranked opponent a run for his money.
Moreover, Muhammad has been clamoring for a fight against a ranked opponent for quite a while now. A potential win over Edwards could catapult him into the mix of contenders who are likely to stake a claim for a welterweight championship bout.
Belal Muhammad last fought Dhiego Lima at UFC 258 and earned a unanimous decision victory (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).
