"First fight I ever went to" - Welterweight contender Belal Muhammad names iconic UFC fight that got him "hooked" to MMA
UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad recently took to X (formerly Twitter) and reflected on the legendary fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.
Edgar and Maynard faced each other three times over the course of their careers. Their second fight took place at UFC 125, which took place on January 2, 2011.
Muhammad shared a screenshot of a facebook post that he uploaded on that day, 13 years ago. He wrote:
"Greatest sporting event I've ever been too"
Muhammad shared the screenshot to X alongside the caption:
"First fight I ever went to was @FrankieEdgar vs gray .that fight got me hooked"
In their first fight, which went down in April 2008, Maynard edged out Edgar in a close fight to secure the decision win. In the rematch, which Belal Muhammad was referring to, both men left it all out there in a blood and guts affair. Neither man had any quit in them that night as they stood and traded for the entire 25 minutes.
The fight was so close that it was ruled a draw. Edgar and Maynard would go on to fight each other one more time, with Edgar emerging victorious in the trilogy bout. The two shared a historic rivalry and have one win apiece.
Belal Muhammad appears set to train in Dagestan ahead of potential Leon Edwards fight
Belal Muhammad, in many people's eyes, is next in line for a shot at Leon Edwards' 170-pound strap. While the fight isn't set in stone, it is likely to be the fight to make at welterweight.
In order to prepare for the bout, it looks like Belal Muhammad has packed his bags for a trip to Dagestan to work on his MMA game. Muhammad recently reposted a a picture of himself alongside UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev:
Furthermore, his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, in a pair of cryptic tweets, hinted at the trip. He wrote:
"@bullyb170 <soon emoji>"
This was followed up by:
"Dagestan"
If Muhammad is indeed the next in line at 170 pounds, moving to Dagestan is certainly wise. While his wrestling game held in high regard, improvement to his overall MMA game and working with names like Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov may very well take 'Remember the Name' to the next level.