Belal Muhammad reveals what it was like to be trained by 'GOAT' Khabib Nurmagomedov
UFC Welterweight Belal Muhammad will headline UFC Fight Night 187 this Saturday against Leon Edwards.
The Palestinian fighter last fought only weeks ago on the preliminary card of UFC 258 on February 13, 2020. He is now back in Las Vegas to welcome 'Rocky' on March 13 at the UFC Apex arena, almost two years after the latter's last fight.
Belal Muhammad had the opportunity to train with UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. 'Remember the Name' was elated about his interaction with the Dagestani athlete and expressed the same when asked about it in the pre-fight press conference.
"He [Khabib Nurmagomedov] is a great coach. Literally, seeing him practicing and coaching the guys... my teammates who I brought with me had the honor of being a part of the practice today and yesterday. It is amazing to see how these guys train. You don't realize how blessed you are with opportunities you are given. And shoutout to Ali Abdelaziz for making these opportunities available for me and my team. Because... that's a small group right there. They're a private group. So, to be able to learn from a guy like that, who is the best to ever do it, it's amazing."
Belal Muhammad also detailed a conversation with Khabib Nurmagomedov where the latter spoke about Belal's last performance. Muhammad shared that he was extremely surprised to learn Khabib Nurmagomedov watched his fight. He even said that the kind of humble attitude Khabib Nurmagomedov showed made him look up to him.
How does Belal Muhammad think his fight with Leon Edwards will pan out?
Belal Muhammad was extremely confident about his victory while talking to the media about his upcoming fight. He believes that his skills are "neck-to-neck" with those of Leon Edwards.
Furthermore, Muhammad believes that cage time matters a lot. The inactivity that Leon Edwards has faced in the past two years is something that Belal Muhammad feels will play to his advantage.
Leon Edwards last fought Rafael dos Anjos in July 2019. He defeated the former lightweight champion via unanimous decision to extend his win-steak to eight. However, the UFC has been unable to arrange another bout for the English fighter ever since. Fights for Leon Edwards were booked and canceled throughout 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leon Edwards will look to make his comeback as dynamic as possible. However, Belal Muhammad plans to exert relentless pressure on his opponent and finish him.
Who do you think will get his hand raised after the main event of UFC Fight Night 187? Let us know in the comments section.