The UFC doesn't like Belal

[joy2day]

Belal is the UFC's least popular champ? Fans, fighters and the UFC all don't seem to like him a whole lot.

Edit: The quote below is by DDP, not Helwani just to clarify for some.



Ouch, words hurt.

It has been 10 days since Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis shut out former 185 lb champion Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia (watch highlights). However, he is still delivering violence (this time virtually).

Recently, UFC Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has made his intentions clear, he’s planning on going up to Middleweight if Lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev chooses to try for greatness and grab a second belt, and he likes his chances because Du Plessis “sucks.”

Well, “Stillknocks” heard Muhammad’s comments and torched him on Ariel Helwani’s show today (Tues. Feb. 18, 2025).

“Belal Muhamad, I can’t even remember the way he fights. Has he ever finished anyone?” Du Plessis said. “I like how he acts as if he has a choice to ever go up to 185. The UFC will never let him. He would have to give up his belt, and there is no way they give him a title shot. The UFC doesn’t even like Belal Muhammad.”

“He hasn’t even defended his belt once,” Du Plessis added. He’s definitely better on Twitter than he is in fights.”

The Middleweight champion sure does have a way with words, and sometimes he makes fighters cry like this.

But beyond being critical, Du Plessis does have a point with Muhammad as it took “Remember the Name” nine fights to get a Welterweight title shot and receive an automatic Middleweight title shot ain’t happening.

So, good luck?

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Champ vs Champ was cool 5 years ago

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Which is exactly why certain silly people here do like him (or pretend to)

 

[Elegant]

Who does? He's the one guy single handily ruining the division during arguably it's most exciting era ever with names like Shavkat, Garry, MVP, Carlos Prates, JDM, Buckley etc

Every fight he shows up and tries his absolute best to remove any possible excitement any fight could have in any way, shape, or form.

 

[joy2day]

DDP tellin' it like it is.

 

[Hymen Crusher]

No one likes him as a fighter. No idea what he is like as a dude

 

[JustOnce]

 

[Jackonfire]

What's to like?

 

[Elvis.]

Sure , bul Helwani is a weasel

 

[aerius]

What's to like?

His fights are a pretty effective sleep aid for insomniacs like myself.

 

[joy2day]

What's to like?

Yeah, that's kind of the thing- there isn't much to like. His personality and his fights are both incredibly dry.

He's a burden to the UFC as a champion, and fans carry the burden for having to watch him.

 

[BullyKutta]

I don't think he'll last long at 170 as the champ, tbh.

Woodley had the same style and Dana hated him for it. The fans hated him for it. The MMA press hated him for it.

The UFC is going to do everything in their power to make sure Belal gets the worst possible matchups, because any way you slice it, a guy with this kind of decision record is BAD FOR BUSINESS:



Quite possibly the worst champion in WW history. His opponents will probably get free PI use, tailored dieticians, and any supplemental personal trainers necessary.

He's awful. An absolute stinkbomb of a belt holder.

 

[BullyKutta]

No one likes him as a fighter. No idea what he is like as a dude

From everything I've seen, he's a solid dude as a human being.

Which is the reason why his 'tryhard' antics on social media are so off-putting. Nobody believes it.

He doesn't naturally have the nastiness we want from a fighter. He's a good athlete, and he knows how to game the MMA scoring system, but he's not a 'fighter'.

 

[Hymen Crusher]

From everything I've seen, he's a solid dude as a human being.

Which is the reason why his 'tryhard' antics on social media are so off-putting. Nobody believes it.

He doesn't naturally have the nastiness we want from a fighter. He's a good athlete, and he knows how to game the system, but he's not a 'fighter'.

I have no problem with fighters like that but you got to build up a mega resume to move up then. 5 6 defenses and prove you are undeniable.

 

[Oscar Madison]

Bald-father got the hitjob on Belal assigned to Shavkat --

Islam is probably the Backup.

BeeMo feeling the heat, starting to say too much in public about his tentative escape plans to 185...

 

[TriangleMonkey]

Islam must’ve just cleaned him up at practice

Im sure it was so bad he couldn’t do shit in any facet of the game against the daggie boys

 

[Bubba Kid]

I don't think I can ever forgive Leon for losing to that dork. I was one of his only believers on this site.

 

[JoeRowe]

From everything I've seen, he's a solid dude as a human being.

Which is the reason why his 'tryhard' antics on social media are so off-putting. Nobody believes it.

He doesn't naturally have the nastiness we want from a fighter. He's a good athlete, and he knows how to game the MMA scoring system, but he's not a 'fighter'.

He recently said Sean Strickland deserved all the abuse he received as a kid. Celebrating physical & possible sexual abuse of a child is not my definition of "solid".

 

[AL-Tappo McSnappo]

Belal is the UFC's least popular champ? Fans, fighters and the UFC all don't seem to like him a whole lot.



Ouch, words hurt.

It has been 10 days since Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis shut out former 185 lb champion Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia (watch highlights). However, he is still delivering violence (this time virtually).

Recently, UFC Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has made his intentions clear, he’s planning on going up to Middleweight if Lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev chooses to try for greatness and grab a second belt, and he likes his chances because Du Plessis “sucks.”

Well, “Stillknocks” heard Muhammad’s comments and torched him on Ariel Helwani’s show today (Tues. Feb. 18, 2025).

“Belal Muhamad, I can’t even remember the way he fights. Has he ever finished anyone?” Du Plessis said. “I like how he acts as if he has a choice to ever go up to 185. The UFC will never let him. He would have to give up his belt, and there is no way they give him a title shot. The UFC doesn’t even like Belal Muhammad.”

“He hasn’t even defended his belt once,” Du Plessis added. He’s definitely better on Twitter than he is in fights.”

The Middleweight champion sure does have a way with words, and sometimes he makes fighters cry like this.

But beyond being critical, Du Plessis does have a point with Muhammad as it took “Remember the Name” nine fights to get a Welterweight title shot and receive an automatic Middleweight title shot ain’t happening.

So, good luck?

Ariel the guy who acts like a champion for fighter rights, openly attacking a fighter, putting him down. He was hating on him before he became champion too, saying he didn't deserve a TS.

Hatred lives in his heart.

 

[BullyKutta]

He recently said Sean Strickland deserved all the abuse he received as a kid. Celebrating physical & possible sexual abuse of a child is not my definition of "solid".

No argument here.

That's an incredibly fucked up thing to say.

Especially to a fighter. I have no stats to back this up, but I'm pretty sure fighters have significantly higher rates of child abuse in their histories than the general population.

Fuck Belal, then.