Israel Adesanya: Belal Muhammad’s treatment by fans may be racially driven, says Israel Adesanya

Belal Muhammad has garnered immense criticism from fans, and even some fighters, in his rise to becoming the welterweight champion. 'Remember the Name' has made some outlandish claims which may have contributed to his criticism, namely that he has "hands" like Canelo Alvarez.

But former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya believes that another reason altogether may be causing the negativity sent Muhammad's way. 'The Last Stylebender' highlighted the welterweight champion's ethnicity, being born to Palestinian parents, as a potential cause of the hate he receives.

During a recent YouTube video, Adesanya broke down Muhammad's upcoming title fight against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, where he said:

"Put some respect on Belal's name. Everybody has to. I don't know why he's always the butt of jokes and what not. I don't know if it's racism even, because he's a Palestinian. Look, I'm just saying it as it is. I'm just saying, the guy's a champion. But somehow, people always just, including me, I counted him out against Leon [Edwards] because of their first fight."

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Check out Israel Adesanya discussing Belal Muhammad below (11:30):

Jack Della Maddalena's grappling coach hilariously supports Belal Muhammad's "Canelo-hands" claim

Jack Della Maddalena will take on one of the division's best wrestlers, Belal Muhammad, in the main event of UFC 315 on May 10. Given Muhammad's grappling pedigree, the title challenger has employed the services of elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) athlete, Craig Jones.

Jones has operated as Alexander Volkanovski's BJJ coach since 2021, and prior to working with Della Maddalena, the BJJ athlete had immense praise for the welterweight contender's grappling skills.

Ahead of Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena fight, Jones has gotten into a war of words with the 170-pound king. The pair have traded verbal jabs on several occasions during the build-up.

During a recent interview with Kayo Sports, the BJJ athlete was asked if he agreed with Muhammad's claim that he had "hands" like boxing world champion Canelo Alvarez. Jones supported his claim, citing Alvarez's heavily-criticized fight against William Scull on May 3.

He said:

"Probably Canelo's first round from his last fight, where he didn't throw a punch [in the whole round]. I'd say that was pretty similar to Belal's striking... I've seen some similarities."

Check out Craig Jones' comments on Belal Muhammad below (0:45):

It is worth noting that the first round of Alvarez's clash with Scull, the Mexican threw only four punches, while landing none of them.

About the author

Liam is a MMA and Boxing writer at Sportskeeda. His journey into MMA journalism began with a high school diploma in 2017, but his passion for writing led him to diverse experiences, including internships in research and writing roles and accounting work.

Liam's fascination with MMA was sparked by Conor McGregor, with Dustin Poirier's bout against Dan Hooker in 2020 sealing his love for the sport. Poirier remains Liam's favorite fighter, whom he admires for his attitude, fighting style, and persona both inside and outside the cage. He is an advocate for the removal of the 12-6 elbow rule in MMA.

Liam strives to report precise and relevant information by cross-checking his work, reaching out to relevant sources for comments, and adhering to Sportskeeda's guidelines. His work has been recognized on popular MMA platforms, with his article headlines featuring in YouTube recaps and appearing onscreen during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.

Outside of work, Liam enjoys playing cricket, practising Brazilian jiu-jitsu, cooking, music, and reading.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi