"You want to push yourself that much harder for him" - Belal Muhammad describes how Khabib Nurmagomedov "demands greatness" like the late Kobe Bryant
UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad recently praised Khabib Nurmagomedov for making him a better fighter, following his impressive UFC 280 performance against Sean Brady.
Muhammad stunned fans at UFC 280 when he finished the previously undefeated Sean Brady via TKO. 'Remember the Name' stopped Brady in the second round after dominating him from the beginning of the fight. The result has meant Muhammad climbs one place in the division, finding himself the new No.4-ranked welterweight.
The victory for Muhammad was his first finish since 2016 and put an end to his 11-fight decision streak. The 34-year-old has since revealed it is no surprise he's found his first TKO in a number of years after working alongside former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Belal Muhammad stated that working with fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov makes you push yourself harder. The 34-year-old compared 'The Eagle's coaching style to that of the late Kobe Bryant:
"One of the best things that I noticed from it was seeing what he demands out of you. He demands greatness from you. You watch all the shows of 'Dream Team' and how Kobe Bryant would go to the gym at 4AM and it makes the other guys work that much harder. Khabib is the same way. You want to do extra for him, you want to push yourself that much harder for him."
Catch the full interview with Belal Muhammad here:
Belal Muhammad calls out both champ Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev following UFC 280 win
Belal Muhammad's octagon interview at UFC 280 proved he has his eyes on the top of the division after he called out both Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, making fun of the latter's recent weight-miss as well.
'Remember the Name' believes he and 'Rocky' have unfinished business after their 2021 bout was ruled a no-contest. Edwards accidentally eye-poked Muhammad in the second-round, leaving him unable to continue. Following their bout, Edwards has defeated Nate Diaz and Kamaru Usman, becoming the welterweight champion. Edwards is expected to defend his title in a trilogy bout with Usman next. Muhammad said:
"I heard Leon Edwards is out here. Where is he at? I also heard the big, bad wolf [Khamzat Chimaev] is coming back down [to welterweight]. I can fight at 179.8 [lbs]. Doesn't matter to me. I'm here to fight the best people."
#UFC280Leon, Khamzat, doesn't matter. @BullyB170 wants to fight the best at 170 👀 #UFC280 https://t.co/N0rMNWDqys
Despite poking fun at 'Borz', it's very unlikely that this fight will happen either. Dana White recently revealed that the Chechen-born Swede will likely face the returning Colby Covington next year. The UFC president has also backed the winner of the fight to face the winner of Edwards and Usman's trilogy bout.
It appears as though Belal Muhammad will have to bide his time for a shot at the title. The welterweight division is one of the most stacked in the organization, as evidenced by Muhammad's eight-fight winning streak not yet being enough for a title shot.