Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has come to the defense of newly crowned welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, suggesting that the Palestinian-American fighter deserves more respect from the MMA community.
“Put some respect on Belal’s name. Everybody has to,” Adesanya stated emphatically. “I don’t know why he’s always the butt of jokes and whatnot. I don’t know if it’s racism even because he’s a Palestinian.”
Muhammad, who recently shocked the world by defeating Leon Edwards to claim the welterweight title, has long struggled for recognition despite amassing an impressive 10+ fight win streak before finally securing his championship opportunity. Even during UFC 315 weigh-ins, Muhammad reportedly went unrecognized by a Montreal commissioner, highlighting the ongoing struggle for mainstream acknowledgment.
Adesanya admitted that he too had underestimated Muhammad prior to his title victory. “The guy’s a champion. But somehow, people always just, like, including me… I counted him out against Leon because of their first fight. And I was like, ‘nah, Leon should whoop this guy.'”
The Nigerian-born striker’s comments come amid a pattern of incidents suggesting Muhammad faces unique challenges in receiving proper recognition. Earlier this year at UFC 310, security personnel temporarily blocked Muhammad from entering the cage during a post-fight segment, failing to realize he was a scheduled competitor.
Critics have often pointed to Muhammad’s fighting style, which has yielded fewer finishes than some fans prefer, as a reason for his lower profile. Adesanya addressed this directly: “People might not like it because he doesn’t get finishes all the time or whatnot. But you have to put respect on the guy’s name. He’s a champion.”
Muhammad’s championship victory capped what many consider one of the more difficult roads to a title shot in recent UFC history. Even his upcoming opponent Jack Della Maddalena acknowledged this journey during interviews, with Adesanya noting: “Even during the interview, Jack said that he respects [that] Belal’s done it. I mean, [he] didn’t have the easiest route to a title shot.”
