"Nothing forgettable about that performance" - Jon Anik feels Belal Muhammad is a "real problem", has advice to "broaden his overall threat"
Jon Anik feels Belal Muhammad will cause real problems in the welterweight division and gave him a piece of advice to "broaden his overall threat".
Muhammad had to wait a long time to get his revenge on Vicente Luque. 'Remember the Name' delivered a dominant performance at the UFC Vegas 51 main event. He and Luque had previously squared off at UFC 205 where 'The Silent Assassin' knocked out Muhammad in the first round.
This time, the Chicago native employed a brilliant strategy of fast footwork and well-timed takedowns to keep Luque guessing at every turn. He also looked much better with his striking, landing many more significant strikes on the Brazilian.
Anik heaped praise on Muhammad's overall performance on Twitter:
"Remember the Name. Nothing forgettable about that performance from Belal Muhammad last night. Cardio, wrestling, striking, + coaching, high fight IQ. Dealt with adversity. Just would like to see him add a signature choke to broaden his overall threat. But he’s a real problem."
Remember the Name. Nothing forgettable about that performance from Belal Muhammad last night. Cardio, wrestling, striking, + coaching, high fight IQ. Dealt with adversity. Just would like to see him add a signature choke to broaden his overall threat. But he’s a real problem.
The unanimous decision victory extends Muhammad’s unbeaten streak to eight matches in the promotion.
Belal Muhammad calls out Colby Covington after his win at UFC Vegas 51
Belal Muhammad took the opportunity to call out Colby Covington after his dominant performance against Vicente Luque at UFC Vegas 51.
Muhammad's impressive unbeaten streak contains several notable names in the welterweight division, including Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia. 'Remember the Name' has been waiting in line to get a title shot against Kamaru Usman.
In his octagon interview, Muhammad told Daniel Cormier:
"I’m going to stop calling for the champ cause nobody wants to give me that shot. So, let me get the big mouth Karen. Colby Covington’s out here calling out [155 pounders]. Come fight a real ‘70 pounder, you coward. I’m a real ‘70 pounder. I’m winning fights. I’m not [Jorge] Masvidal off two losses. I’m not [Tyron] Woodley off five losses... Come fight a real challenge, coward."
Watch Muhammad's post-fight octagon interview below:
It remains to be seen if 'Remember the Name' will get his wish, as UFC president Dana White wants Covington to face Khamzat Chimaev on the ABC broadcast later in the year. However, the questions looming over Muhammad's validity in the division were emphatically answered with a brilliant performance.