5 Things You Might Not Know About Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad may be the most unassuming current champion in mixed martial arts, but two characteristics jump off the page: persistence and consistency.

The undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder will enter his 2025 campaign unbeaten in his past 11 outings, having compiled a 10-0 record with one no contest in that span. Muhammad, 36, last saw action at UFC 304, where he captured the 170-pound crown with a five-round unanimous decision over Leon Edwards on July 27. He has not lost a fight in almost five years.

As Muhammad awaits word from UFC matchmakers on his next assignment, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He educated himself away from the cage.

Muhammad graduated from Bogan High School in Chicago, where his wrestling coach was future Professional Fighters League champion Louis Taylor. He went on to earn a law degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

2. He shined on the regional scene.

Muhammad made his professional mixed martial arts debut at the age of 24 when he buried Justin Brock with punches in a little more than two minutes at a Hoosier Fight Club show on Aug. 18, 2012. He won his first nine bouts and laid claim to the Titan Fighting Championship welterweight crown prior to his arrival in the UFC in 2016.

3. Durability serves as one of his anchors.

The Chicago native has been stopped only once in his 28-fight career, as he succumbed to punches from Kill Cliff Fight Club standout Vicente Luque in the first round—it lasted just 79 seconds—of their UFC 205 pairing in November 2016. Muhammad avenged the loss five-plus years later at UFC on ESPN 34, where he took a five-round unanimous decision from “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 21 alum in their rematch.

4. He puts in the miles.

Muhammad has trained with respected camps all over the Midwest, from Roufusport and the VFS Academy to the Chicago Fight Team and the War Room Fight Academy.

5. The numbers back him up.

Muhammad has built quite a statistical profile in the UFC welterweight division, where he ranks fifth all-time in wins (15) and takedown defense (89.4%), sixth in to0tal strikes landed (1,965), seventh in significant strikes landed (1,241) and eighth in total fight time (4:42:38) and takedowns completed (43).