Current UFC 170-pound champion Belal Muhammad is back to training. Muhammad recently joined forces with reigning lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev and No. 2-ranking bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov. Both prepare for their respective title fights at the upcoming UFC 311 pay-per-view event on January 18th at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
The footage of Belal Muhammad prowling around Team American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) gym suggests “Remember the Name” is close to a full recovery. He was in rehabilitation earlier this year with a foot bone infection serious enough to force the cancellation of his 170-pound title defense. Muhammad was to go up against welterweight contender and No.1 seed for gold, Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Last month, the Palestinian champ reported almost recovering and ready to train again. Now, he gets to it. Coach Khabib Nurmagomedov has cornered friends and family to successful stints. He also cornered Muhammad for his TKO win over Sean Brady at UFC 280. Team Khabib and Muhammad also got together when he snagged gold at the UFC 304 main event.
👀⚡️ Khabib shared a video of Belal Muhammad in camp with Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov to help them ahead of UFC 311.
🎥 @TeamKhabib ▫️ pic.twitter.com/qLXWlJADqb
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 31, 2024
Islam Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) defended his throne with a fifth-round submission and is prepping for a fourth defense. Umar Nurmagomedov has the opportunity to snag gold as well. So, now they link up with a top crop of the camp and new welterweight champ Muhammad to sharpen the sticks. However, train how much he will, some still think they can fare against ‘Remember the Name.’
Kevin Holland sees chance he can knock out Belal Muhammad
For a long time now, Mike Valle’s work has been seen in premier MMA. However, 2024 was the year in which his coaching really stood out from the crowd. The veteran coach, who runs the VFS Academy in Chicago, had a hand in the creation of two UFC champions in 2024. Belal Muhammad, the best success story, played his part as well.
A rival thinks he can get the better of Belal Muhammad (Source: X)Muhammad showed vast improvement, outboxing, grappling, and spiking the former champ in his UFC 304 PPV matchup. Having competed at both 170 pounds and 185 pounds though, Kevin Holland likes it better versus decision merchant Muhammad than Dricus Du Plessis.
Easier fight, I have to say honestly, probably Belal, …People can say what they want to say about Du Plessis, his style is ugly, his style is this, his style is that. He is a gritty motherfu*ker to fight, and it doesn’t matter what you’re doing…Belal, I really honestly believe (if) I shut down the takedown, Belal gets knocked the fu*k out…
Kevin Holland on Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry Season 2 (@Overdogspod)
Holland himself meets Reinier de Ridder (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at UFC 311. There is a chance the trailblazing middleweight gets to face off with Muhammad. That is – should he appear during fight week media interviews for his Team AKA friends. Will Holland dare to drop down and challenge him during fight week? Tune in near January 18 to find out.
Stay Updated!
Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.
