Belal Muhammad Record: 24-6-0

Climbing the welterweight ladder

Muhammad steadied himself with decision wins over Randy Brown, veteran Jordan Mein, and Tim Means, then beat Chance Rencountre in 2018. After a decision loss to Geoff Neal in early 2019 – the last defeat he would suffer for years – he rebounded by outpointing Curtis Millender and submitting Takashi Sato, beginning a lengthy unbeaten run.

Contender surge

Muhammad strung together a series of statement wins that lifted him into the title picture. He decisioned Lyman Good and Dhiego Lima, fought to a no-contest with Leon Edwards in March 2021 after an accidental eye poke, then outpointed BJJ legend Demian Maia and former title challenger Stephen Thompson. He avenged his earlier loss to Vicente Luque with a five-round decision in 2022, then handed unbeaten Sean Brady his first defeat by second-round TKO. A five-round decision over former title challenger Gilbert Burns in 2023 cemented his status as the No. 1 contender.

Welterweight champion

Muhammad realized his title dream at UFC 304 in July 2024, defeating Leon Edwards by unanimous decision over five rounds to win the UFC Welterweight Championship and become the first UFC champion of Palestinian descent. His reign, however, was brief: in his first defense at UFC 315 in May 2025, he lost the belt by unanimous decision to Jack Della Maddalena. Looking to rebuild, he then dropped a decision to surging contender Ian Machado Garry later in 2025 and a five-round decision to Gabriel Bonfim in 2026.

Fighting style

Muhammad is a high-volume, pressure-based grinder who wins with relentless output, smothering wrestling, and elite cardio rather than one-shot power. With 18 of his 24 wins by decision and a finish rate of just 25 percent, his game is built on accumulation: chaining takedowns, controlling position, and outworking opponents across five rounds. His durability is a defining trait – he has been finished only once in his career – and his ability to impose a suffocating, draining pace has frustrated some of the division's most talented strikers. The natural critique is a lack of finishing power, but his consistency, conditioning, and fight IQ carried him all the way to a world title.

Career highlights

• UFC Welterweight Champion — defeated Leon Edwards at UFC 304 to win the title and become the first UFC champion of Palestinian descent.
• Elite contender run — an extended unbeaten streak with wins over Sean Brady, Gilbert Burns, Stephen Thompson, and Vicente Luque that earned his title shot.
• Exceptional durability — finished only once across a 30-plus-fight professional career, a testament to his toughness and defensive grappling.