Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad has publicly stated his willingness to go up to middleweight to finally secure a long-sought fight against Kamaru Usman. Muhammad, currently on a three-fight skid after losing the welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena and subsequent defeats to Ian Machado Garry and Gabriel Bonfim, says he has been pushing for the Usman matchup for years. Usman, who has campaigned at middleweight in recent bouts against Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis, may be intent on staying at 185 pounds, but Muhammad says the fight makes sense wherever it is booked.

Usman

Belal Muhammad made his ACB JJ league debut at the ACBJJ22 tournament, submitting Oktagon MMA fighter Kerim Engizek in a grappling match. The submission victory marked Muhammad's first competitive appearance in the league.

The Real American Fighter (RAF) wrestling league has announced matchups across three upcoming events. Khamzat Chimaev meets Tyron Woodley and Abdulrashid Sadulaev faces Braunagel at RAF Moscow on September 5, while Kyle Snyder takes on Tazhudinov and Nikal meets Muradov on the same card. Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad and Luke Rockhold vs. Pifer are set for RAF 13 in Miami on September 18, with Arman Tsarukyan vs. Denis scheduled for RAF 14 in Las Vegas on October 23.

Rockhold, Chimaev, Covington+2

On 2026-08-18, Belal Muhammad reacted to Ian Machado Garry’s performance and echoed criticism about Garry lacking killer instinct. The piece is relevant because it shows Muhammad continuing to stay in the welterweight conversation even without a new booking announcement. It is a direct media quote item, not a fight result report. The story frames Muhammad’s remarks as part of the ongoing post-fight debate around Garry’s title-fight approach.