It's important to understand most people feel the way you do about Belal, you're not in the minority. That said, whether he's contender level or not, he is a contender. Going 13-4 in the UFC is pretty incredible and Belal didn't fight easy competition. He's 8-0-1 in his last 9 and he beat Luque, Brady and Thompson. Belal is an over achiever...hes not fast, he doesn't hit hard, he's not even big for the weight. He's well rounded, tough, in great condition and fights smart. He has pretty solid wrestling and great cardio. He's just a grindy, experienced and well rounded guy who found his second gear in the last few years and really hit his prime. Nobody ever thought he'd beat Usman, no one was interested in seeing him rematch Leon either...People kinda accepted Belal is a slightly downgraded Colby Covington but Belal is good and deserves a title shot regardless, he earned it.
