"If I see you out there I'mma punch you" - Belal Muhammad had a fiery warning for 'weirdo' in crowd who called him 'Arabic bad names'
Stephen Thompson wasn't the only challenge Belal Muhammad had to deal with at UFC Vegas 45, due to the presence of a few hecklers. Muhammad went on to respond to chants from one heckler, in particular, who called him "bad names" in Arabic.
While in conversation with Michael Bisping in his post-fight octagon interview, Belal Muhammad revealed that he could hear hecklers in the crowd making inappropriate chants during his fight with Stephen Thompson.
However, Muhammad admitted that the heckler was able to fire up the UFC star to perform better in the octagon. Muhammad also went on to say that he wanted to punch the heckler if they ever crossed paths.
"When you fight one of the guys you look up to and you got weirdos in the crowd, I don't even know how that dude got in here. But I was hearing him talking and then he called me some Arabic bad names. But I wanted to look at him and smile at him. If I see you out there I'mma punch you. Thanks for the motivation," exclaimed Belal Muhammad.
UFC Vegas 45 saw Belal Muhammad and Stephen Thompson go toe-to-toe in the co-main event, with Muhammad emerging triumphant by way of unanimous decision.
The fight saw Muhammad put on a wrestling masterclass, controlling the fight on the ground and frequently pressuring Thompson to the mats. What's more, Belal Muhammad, over the course of the fight, managed to complete the highest number of takedowns on Stephen Thompson across his storied career in the UFC.
Belal Muhammad hopeful of a shot at divisional gold against Kamaru Usman
In addition to dealing with the heckler in his post-fight octagon interview, Belal Muhammad addressed his future in the 170lbs division. He went on to stake his claim at the UFC welterweight title, hoping to bag a fight against Kamaru Usman in the near future.
"I just showed there is another guy in this division that [Kamaru] Usman needs to fight. Give us new blood. Let these new guys come up there and fight for the title," said Belal Muhammad.
"I just showed there is another guy in this division that [Kamaru] Usman needs to fight. Give us new blood."
Belal Muhammad (@Bullyb170) believes he should be the next welterweight to challenge Usman for the title 🔊⬆️
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However, Muhammad was seemingly willing to compromise and pick up a fight against Leon Edwards if Kamaru Usman required a bit of time before making his way back to the octagon.