Belal Muhammad vows to come back stronger after Jack Della Maddalena loss while refusing to "put blame on anybody"
In his first reaction to the defeat against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, Belal Muhammad accepted full responsibility and promised to make a strong comeback. Maddalena defeated Muhammad by unanimous decision, ending his reign as the undisputed UFC welterweight champion.
During a recent interaction with Jason Anik on the Anik & Florian Podcast, Muhammad expressed his determination to reclaim the title, stating:
"I'm not a guy that's gonna sit there and put blame on anybody. People love to see you fail, people love to see you fail, and they waited 6 years for me to lose, and they waited 11 fights to see me lose. But they're not gonna see me with my head down. They're not gonna see me quit, they're not gonna see me break."
He added:
"What I'm gonna do is take that loss, grow from it, get better from it, and just continue to be a different animal and keep continuing to do what they think I can't do. I'm gonna be the guy that gets the belt again. I'm gonna be the guy that's one fight away from getting the belt."
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below (Courtesy: @RedCorner_MMA on X):
The loss against Della Maddalena marked Muhammad's first defeat in more than six years, ending his 11-fight unbeaten run.
Belal Muhammad on his strategy against Jack Della Maddalena: "I'm gonna live with that."
Belal Muhammad had expressed confidence in his striking ability against Jack Della Maddalena heading into UFC 315, although wrestling has typically been his strength. However, Maddalena outperformed him in the striking department, winning most of the exchanges on the feet while also showcasing significantly improved defensive grappling.
Speaking in the aforementioned appearance on the Anik & Florian Podcast, Muhammad shared his thoughts on the strategy, stating:
"I was like, 'Bro, I can strike with this guy.' People were coming at me and telling me I can't strike with him. Obviously, we lost the fight, but we stood toe-to-toe with him. I went against the game plan, I went on my own."
He added:
"I'm gonna live with that, but it came down to one round - maybe one exchange that could have swayed the judges one way or that way. So, was my game plan wrong? It could have gone the other way. Could it have been an easier fight? It could have."
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below (12:24):
It must be noted that while Muhammad has been criticized for leaning too much on his striking against Maddalena, many experts have noted that it was the Australian fighter's movement and range control that limited Muhammad's ability to shoot for takedowns.