Belal Muhammad coughed up his welterweight crown by trying to outbox Jack Della Maddalena, a superior striker, atop the UFC 315 pay-per-view (PPV) event last May in Montreal.
I guess “Remember the Name” forgot the wrestling.
Muhammad will try to work his way back into the 170-pound title chase when he takes on longtime division rival Ian Machado Garry in the UFC Qatar co-main event next month in Doha. Garry is hoping for a similar performance from the former champ because it would “make his life easier.”
“Belal Muhammad, when he was defending his title in Montreal, Canada, thought that he could outbox a boxer,” Garry said on Instagram (transcribed by Farah Hannoun). “He was an idiot and he was wrong. I hope he thinks he can try do that to me. It would make my life easier.”
Kicking Belal when he’s down seems to be a popular trend among UFC fighters.
“You’re going to see speed like you’ve never seen before,” Garry added. “Belal Muhammad, a respected former champion, will be made to look like an amateur in front of your very eyes. You watched me decimate (Neil) Magny, shut down Shavkat (Rakhmonov), piece up (Carlos) Prates, now you’re about to witness the greatest version of ‘The Future’ – Qatar, you’re very lucky indeed.”
Garry (16-1) is ranked five spots below Muhammad (16-1) in the official welterweight rankings and could punch his ticket to a 170-pound title shot with a big finish in Qatar.
To see who else is fighting at UFC Qatar click here.
