For UFC welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, every fight is like the Super Bowl, which is how he trains himself for weeks ahead of the fight. So come fight night he has hardwired his brain to think there is no option but to win.
Having taken a long time to be granted a title shot and then winning it in the first go by absolutely dominating his opponent, Belal understands that should he lose it, he might never get the opportunity to even try and get it back. And so he trains like his life depends on it, because it sort of does.
In an interview with Grind City Media, the UFC welterweight champion spoke about how he deals with every single one of his fights,
“Because I’ve been winning so long right, and I haven’t lost in how many years. So I always look at my next fight as my hardest fight and my toughest fight no matter what….Your next fight should be your Super Bowl.”
‘Remember the Name‘ made some valid points to support his argument. Losing a fight when you’re at the top of the game is disastrous as it can set you back in terms of the rankings.
So he treats every fight like it is the biggest fight of his life. As it turns out, his next fight is indeed the biggest fight of his life, against the toughest opponent he will face to date, Shavkat Rakhmonov. But despite being the one with the target on his back, Belal is forcing himself to fight like the hunter, not the hunted.
Belal is on the hunt
Belal Muhammad has been chasing the title for such a long time that he’s managed to hunt pretty much the entirety of the welterweight roster. And that is also the mindset he is going in with in his fight against Rakhmonov, the undefeated boogeyman of the welterweight division.
Credits: IMAGO
And ahead of this fight, the champ is neither backing down nor playing possum. In an interview with Farah Hannoun for MMA Junkie, he revealed how he’s always been the hunter and it is a scenario that hasn’t changed since he’s the only one who asked for the toughest opponent in the division.
“I’m always the hunter, I’m never hunted, even with this fight, I asked for this fight. I’m the hunter, I’m starving, my fridge is empty. I need some Shavkat meat right, no Diddy.”
Belal will look to put on yet another dominant display in the octagon. Hopefully, for fans’ sake, he gets more resistance from Rakhmonov than he got for the entirety of 5 rounds against Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in Manchester.
