(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC)

Belal Muhammad Ready To Prove Himself As A Contender With A UFC On ESPN 11 Win

By Fight Sports Jun 16, 2020

A veteran in the UFC, Belal Muhammad has not yet earned a title opportunity with the UFC. Due to recent events, he believes a win against Lyman Good at UFC on ESPN 11 can help propel him to contendership.

Speaking with MMA Junkie, Muhammad (16-3) discussed how one moment can make a difference. He brings up a fighter who recently fought and ended up getting a title shot as a reward for his skills.

“I can’t wait to just honestly get back out there and get back to work,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “Especially you’ve seen all these guys fighting and you’ve seen how guys’ lives are changing within a year. Gilbert Burns literally just – the momentum shift, all it takes is three or four fights that change the momentum and bang you’re fighting for a title, it could happen like that quick. So for me, I just want to go out there and make a statement and then hopefully get a good run going.”

Burns (19-3) fought twice in 2020. He beat Demian Maia via TKO in a bout many expected Maia to win. The 33-year-old then beat former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley with ease on May 30. As a reward, he shot up the UFC’s welterweight standings and will be fighting Kamaru Usman for the UFC Welterweight Title at UFC 251.

Muhammad is on a two-fight win streak. He fought three times in 2019 and beat Curtis Millender at UFC 236 and Takashi Sato at UFC 242. The 31-year-old was supposed to face Lyman Good at UFC 249 when it was originally in Brooklyn. Good ended up out of the bout following a case of COVID-19, originally stated to be an injury. Muhammad is hoping to enter the June 20 affair ready to go. If he can win the bout, Muhammad is ready for more sooner than later.

“God willing, if I’m healthy after this fight, I want to just hop right back in there and keep it going,” Muhammad went on to say. “In this sport, I feel like it’s more so the more active you are, the better you fight and a lot of guys where it could go one way or another way where if they go back-to-back they could lose the second one or they’ll cut too much weight and it’ll hurt them.

“I just want to be that guy that I don’t care who they put in front of me, I’m willing to say yes to anybody.”

UFC on ESPN 11 takes place inside the UFC’s APEX Center. The main event will feature Curtis Blaydes against Alexander Volkov in a heavyweight bout.