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24-6-0 (W-L-D) · 1 NC
UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim · Jun 6, 2026 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker · Nov 22, 2025 · Al Rayyan, Qatar
vs Jack Della Maddalena Bonus
UFC 315 · May 10, 2025 · Montreal, Quebec, Canada
vs Leon Edwards Title
UFC 304 · Jul 27, 2024 · Manchester, England
vs Gilbert Burns
UFC 288 · May 6, 2023 · Newark, New Jersey, United States
vs Sean Brady Bonus
UFC 280 · Oct 22, 2022 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. Muhammad 2 · Apr 16, 2022 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus · Dec 18, 2021 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs Demian Maia
UFC 263 · Jun 12, 2021 · Glendale, Arizona, United States
vs Leon Edwards
UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad · Mar 13, 2021 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs Dhiego Lima
UFC 258 · Feb 13, 2021 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs Lyman Good
UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov · Jun 20, 2020 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs Takashi Sato Bonus
UFC 242 · Sep 7, 2019 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
vs Curtis Millender
UFC 236 · Apr 13, 2019 · Atlanta, Georgia, United States
vs Geoff Neal
UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw · Jan 19, 2019 · Brooklyn, New York, United States
vs Chance Rencountre
UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes · Jun 1, 2018 · Utica, New York, United States
vs Tim Means
UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura · Nov 19, 2017 · Sydney, Australia
vs Jordan Mein
UFC 213 · Jul 8, 2017 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs Randy Brown
UFC 208 · Feb 11, 2017 · Brooklyn, New York, United States
UFC 205 · Nov 12, 2016 · New York City, New York, United States
vs Augusto Montaño
UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson · Sep 17, 2016 · Hidalgo, Texas, United States
vs Alan Jouban Bonus
UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez · Jul 7, 2016 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
vs Steve Carl Title
Titan FC 38 · Apr 30, 2016 · Miami, Florida, United States
vs Zane Kamaka
Titan FC 35 · Sep 19, 2015 · Ridgefield, Washington, United States
vs Keith Johnson
Titan FC 33 · Mar 20, 2015 · Mobile, Alabama, United States
vs Chris Curtis
Hoosier Fight Club 21 · Sep 13, 2014 · Valparaiso, Indiana, United States
vs A.J. Matthews
Bellator 112 · Mar 14, 2014 · Hammond, Indiana, United States
vs Garrett Gross
Hoosier Fight Club 18 · Nov 9, 2013 · Valparaiso, Indiana, United States
vs Jimmy Fritz
Hoosier Fight Club 15 · Apr 6, 2013 · Valparaiso, Indiana, United States
vs Quinton McCottrell
Bellator 84 · Dec 14, 2012 · Hammond, Indiana, United States
vs Justin Brock
Hoosier Fight Club 12 · Aug 18, 2012 · Valparaiso, Indiana, United States
Belal Muhammad, an American of Palestinian descent, was the UFC welterweight champion from July 2024 to May 2025 after a run of ten fights without a loss, the organization’s first champion of that descent. His professional record stands at 24 wins, 6 losses and one no contest.
Born on July 9, 1988, in Chicago to Palestinian parents, Belal Muhammad grew up in Illinois with four siblings. He wrestled at Bogan High School in Chicago, where his coach was Louis Taylor, a future PFL champion who would later support him during his amateur career. He went on to study law and graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
A professional since 2012, he put together nine straight wins, including a TKO of Steve Carl that earned him the Titan Fighting Championships welterweight belt. The UFC signed him in 2016. He trains at Roufusport in Milwaukee and at Chicago Fight Team, and holds a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
His debut on July 7, 2016, on short notice against Alan Jouban, ended in a loss that earned a Fight of the Night bonus. After an uneven stretch, he began a remarkable run in 2019: wins over Takashi Sato by rear-naked choke, Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque in a rematch, then Sean Brady by TKO at UFC 280 in October 2022. His first meeting with Leon Edwards in March 2021 had been ruled a no contest after an eye poke.
On July 27, 2024, in Manchester, at UFC 304, he beat Leon Edwards by unanimous decision to win the welterweight title. A bone infection in his foot kept him out of his first scheduled defense in December 2024 against Shavkat Rakhmonov. He eventually lost his belt on May 10, 2025, in Montreal to Jack Della Maddalena by decision, in a bout that earned Fight of the Night. Two decision losses followed, against Ian Machado Garry on November 22, 2025, and then against Gabriel Bonfim on June 6, 2026.
Muhammad is a volume and pressure fighter. He moves forward, chains striking feints and level changes, and sets a pace that few welterweights can sustain over five rounds. His wrestling serves to score as much as to neutralize: his takedown defense rate, above 90%, is the second best in the history of the division. This profile explains his highly unusual breakdown of wins: 18 decisions for only 6 finishes. He ranks second in the division in significant strikes landed and in total fight time.
Data updated on September 28, 2026. Record and measurements cross-checked against official results and Wikipedia. Text written by the MMA Official editorial team.
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