Rivalries: Belal Muhammad

If Belal Muhammad needs any additional motivation, vengeance might do the trick.

The Roufusport representative will get the opportunity to avenge one of his three career defeats when he rematches Vicente Luque in the UFC on ESPN 34 headliner this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight contenders first encountered one another in November 2016, when Muhammad succumbed to punches from “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 21 graduate just 79 seconds into their UFC 205 pairing. It remains the only stoppage loss of his 24-fight career.

As Muhammad makes final preparations for his high-stakes showdown with Luque at 170 pounds, a look at a few of the other rivalries that have helped shape his resume:

Stephen Thompson

Repeated takedowns, stifling control and hearty ground-and-pound carried Muhammad to the most significant win of his career, as the onetime Titan Fighting Championship titleholder laid claim to a lopsided unanimous decision over the popular karateka in their UFC Fight Night 199 co-feature on Dec. 18, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges scored it for Muhammad: 30-25, 30-26 and 30-26. Thompson was shockingly ineffective. Muhammad secured multiple takedowns in all three rounds, bled the “Wonderboy” gas tank try and had the South Carolinian searching for answers. He found none. With two rounds already in the bank, Muhammad kept his foot on the accelerator in the third. There, he grounded Thompson again and transitioned seamlessly from half guard and side control to the knee-on-belly position, feeding him elbows all the while.

Leon Edwards

A high-stakes confrontation that could have given rise to the next Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title challenger instead unraveled in an instant, as an accidental eye poke from the Team Renegade export resulted in a no contest with Muhammad in the UFC Fight Night 187 main event on March 13, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Referee Herb Dean called for the stoppage 18 seconds into Round 2 after the stricken Chicago native indicated he could not see out of his visibly damaged right eye. Edwards appeared to be headed in the right direction until the foul turned the situation sideways. He staggered Muhammad with a head kick in the first round, flexed his speed advantage with crisp combinations and administered the far more impactful blows. However, all his good work went for naught due to a wayward appendage.

Geoff Neal

Sharp punching combinations and airtight takedown defense carried the Fortis MMA standout to a unanimous decision over Muhammad in a three-round UFC Fight Night 143 undercard battle on Jan. 19, 2019 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. All three cageside judges saw it for Neal: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27. Muhammad enjoyed some success with punches and kicks to the body but could match neither his opponent’s power nor his athleticism. Neal did his best work in the third round. There, he knocked down Muhammad twice, first with a stinging left hand and later with a well-disguised head kick. Neal on both occasions pounced and pounded, but the finish he sought did not materialize.

Tim Means

Muhammad bagged a split decision in a back-and-forth affair with the former King of the Cage champion, currying favor with two members of the judiciary in their UFC Fight Night 121 welterweight showcase on Nov. 18, 2017 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. All three judges struck 29-28 scorecards: Evan Field and Kevin Manderson for Muhammad, Charlie Keech for Means. Muhammad accounted for the only takedown of the match—a fact that helped him overcome being outstruck by narrow margins: Means landed three more significant strikes (91-88) and three more total strikes (93-90) than the two-time Bellator MMA alum.

Alan Jouban

The Black House export withstood a furious comeback attempt and spoiled Muhammad’s organizational debut when he walked away with a hard-earned unanimous decision in their UFC Fight Night 90 welterweight feature on July 7, 2016 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Jouban swept the scorecards with 28-27, 29-28 and 29-27 marks from the judges. A replacement for the injured Nordine Taleb, the previously unbeaten Muhammad survived three knockdowns to make his presence known. Floored by a left hook and head kick in the first round and a counter left in the second, the Chicago native refused to go away. Muhammad found a home for his right hand in Round 3, where he smashed his counterpart with hooks, straights and uppercuts while applying maximum pressure with his forward movement. Though he had Jouban ducking for cover at times and retreating at others, the finish he needed never materialized.