Belal Muhammad is the new UFC welterweight champion, something the oddsmakers didn’t see coming. But perhaps what’s most surprising is how he got it done.
Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) pulled off the upset by taking the UFC welterweight belt from Leon Edwards this past Saturday in the main event of UFC 304 in Manchester, England. He did so by out grappling Edwards (22-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC), but also out striking him – which left many in awe.
Before the event, Muhammad and specifically his boxing coach Horacio Gutierrez got a lot of heat for some bold claims. In the first UFC Embedded episode for UFC 304, Gutierrez said they had improved Muhammad’s boxing and gotten him a Mexican style similar to the legendary Canelo Alvarez and Juan Manuel Marquez.
“We went viral,” Gutierrez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “The moment that clip came out on UFC’s Embedded, we went viral for that comment. Like you said, nobody believed us that Belal could beat Leon Edwards with his hands. Leon Edwards is one of the best, if not the best striker in the division, and yet I said that with all the confidence.
“I was sure of what I was saying because of the work we put in. I saw Belal’s hands and how he worked on them every single day, how he was landing, and how he was sparring. I didn’t say that just to talk, and we showed that in the cage. Belal connected with way more shots, and his jab was incredible. His hands literally were key in getting us this victory.
“Leon Edwards prepared to defend the takedowns because he knew that was coming, but he never imagined that Belal was going to get him in trouble on the feet, and then the takedown would come easy. It was very satisfying. Now I’m getting memes from people comparing Canelo and Belal, but in a positive manner. Now they believe. We’re going to keep working, there’s a lot to improve, but we’re happy with our work.”
Gutierrez, a former UFC fighter who shifted his focus to coaching, was delighted to see Muhammad finally achieve his dream of becoming a UFC champion. Gutierrez, along with the team at Valle Flow Striking in Chicago, couldn’t be happier for Muhammad.
“I’ve fought in the UFC, but this is a different feeling,” Gutierrez said. “When someone you care about a ton is fighting, someone you’ve spent so much time with, you get even more nerves because you can’t do anything. You’re not the one fighting in that cage. All you can do is keep your mind clear, so you can help get the win.
“It was incredible. There was a different kind of nerves because we were fighting for a world time, and it was my first UFC championship fight that I cornered. It was different, but we handled it very well. I knew he had won once the fight was over. I thought he won four rounds, at worst three, so we were just waiting for the decision. When they lifted his hand and said, ‘And new,’ it was an incredible feeling I can’t explain.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.
