Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has confirmed that the UFC has granted him permission to carry the Palestinian flag during his upcoming appearance at UFC 315 in Montreal, Canada.
“We’ve talked about it, and they have accepted it. There’s nothing that’s gonna stop me from doing it,” Muhammad stated firmly in a recent interview.
This announcement comes after fans had noticed the Palestinian flag was missing from Muhammad’s profile on the UFC website, raising questions about organizational policies regarding national representation. The UFC has since added the flag to his profile.
“People keep asking me, ‘Where’s your flag?’ I kept getting multiple messages from it, and I was assuming it was a mistake, but it’s still not addressed,” Muhammad had previously commented. “So I’ll address it and hope that Dana addresses it as well and fixes it, because Dana said he’s all about free speech. He’s all about people supporting who they want to support and not muting or silencing anybody.”
Beyond his career, Muhammad works with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) to bring Palestinian families to the United States for medical care. One story that resonates deeply with him is that of two-year-old Jude, who lost his mother in Gaza and sustained injuries requiring him to wear leg braces.
“UFC did a story on the little child that we brought, Jude – he lives with my family right now,” Muhammad shared. “His knee was blown up and they had a big story on him because he had a Spider-Man shirt on and they showed the video of him just crying and his mom died laying on top of him trying to protect him.”
Despite Jude’s visible trauma, Muhammad finds hope in seeing him smile and play. He uses such stories to raise awareness about the human impact of conflict while continuing to advocate for humanitarian assistance.
“This is just a two-year-old kid, he didn’t deserve this, he shouldn’t have to live like this,” Muhammad said. “These are just normal people, normal kids that are dealing with this.”
The announcement about Muhammad carrying the Palestinian flag has sparked varied reactions across the MMA community. Many supporters have expressed enthusiasm for his ability to represent his heritage on the global stage. However, not all responses have been supportive. Some critics have questioned Muhammad‘s priorities, suggesting he should take more direct action instead of symbolic gestures.
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