Laura Sanko compares Belal Muhammad to UFC GOAT contender while addressing fan backlash: "Winning is the most important thing”

Laura Sanko addressed the critics of UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad's fighting style by analyzing what makes him effective against elite competitors. Muhammad employs a wrestling-heavy approach that neutralizes his opponents' strengths, allowing him to secure victories on the scorecards. As this often results in a one-sided wrestling clinic, many MMA fans criticize his style for lacking highlight-reel moments and competitive exchanges.

While previewing Belal Muhammad's upcoming UFC 315 title fight against Jack Della Maddalena for Submission Radio, Sanko shared her thoughts on the matter, stating:

"I think what the fans want to see and what wins fights is not always the exact same thing. That's just reality... There are guys who understand how to win moments, and there are guys who understand how to win minutes - And therefore rounds, and therefore fights. Whether you like it or not, winning is the most important thing in professional sports. And that's what gets you to the top. It may not turn you into a superstar, but holding the belt and defending the belt will."

She then compared Muhammad's fighting style with MMA legend Georges St-Pierre, who took a similar wrestling-heavy approach, adding:

"[Belal] has the capability to be that type of fighter. GSp was called boring often and they're not entirely dissimilar in the way that they fight. And yet, removed from having GSP, we miss him and there is not a person out there who wouldn't put him on their list of GOATS."

Check out Laura Sanko's comments below (6:50):

Despite the absence of flashy finishes, Muhammad consistently won in recent years. He is currently on a 11-fight unbeaten streak and has defeated elite competitors in Sean Brady, Gilbert Burns, Stephen Thompson, and most recently, Leon Edwards to win the welterweight title. The UFC 315 title fight against Maddalena will mark his first title defence.