Belal Muhammad: Strategic Grappler

Often fighters face hate for having boring and unchanging styles. Belal Muhammad is a very good example of that, and although I do believe that his fights are not the most exciting ones, I also believe he doesn’t deserve the current hate he is getting. Regardless of everything, he still is an incredibly elite fighter with elite skills.

A more specific reason for the disdain towards him is that he is a rather passive grappler with a base in wrestling. His strength lies in cage control through the effective use of the clinch. Excelling in getting underhooks, he skillfully controls opponents’ upper bodies, often using elbows to land significant strikes when opponents attempt to escape the clinch or engage in takedowns. Against Leon Edwards, known for his clinch proficiency, Muhammad turned the tables by countering with underhooks and redirecting the fight back into the cage. He also demonstrates good timing for defending takedowns, notably defending takedowns against Demian Maia in their fight. Moreover, he also has shown massive improvement in taking down opponents as well, as shown in his bout with Stephen Thompson.

While holding a purple belt in jiu-jitsu, Muhammad’s ground movement is commendable. He actively uses ground pressure, employs cage grabbing, and seamlessly transitions between full mount, back mount, and side control positions, incorporating ground-and-pound to control rounds. He showcases good backup abilities and occasionally succeeds in sweeping opponents from the bottom.

In the striking department, Muhammad adopts a forward pressure approach, utilizing head movement while holding the center of the cage. His primary weapons are jabs and leg kicks. When opponents retreat from the center, Muhammad rushes forward with punch flurries, regaining control. He counters opponents entering with rear-hand hooks. Despite previous criticisms of his striking accuracy, he showed improvement in the Diego Lima fight, landing effective jabs and counter punches.

One of Muhammad’s notable strengths is his resilience. Regardless of the damage received, he responds with stronger attacks, showcasing excellent endurance. Even in the third round, he remains energetic, creating problems for fatigued opponents. In the Alan Jouban fight, despite taking significant damage in the early rounds, Muhammad dominated the third round, pressuring Jouban and landing effective strikes.

However, Muhammad’s weakness lies in his striking defense. Due to his forward pressure and lowered guard, he often absorbs strikes, and even simple shots without setups can find their mark. While he uses head movement, his impaired vision hinders effective evasion against striking opponents.

In cage control, Muhammad excels when pressing forward but struggles when forced to retreat. His ability to escape from the cage is limited, and he occasionally relies on only swinging his arms to create space. However, improvements in this aspect were evident in his second fight against Vicente Luque, where he controlled the cage and executed effective out-fighting.

Muhammad lacks significant knockout power, and his victories often come through scoring points rather than finishing opponents. This has led to controversial decisions, such as the fight against Lyman Good, where the scoring favored Muhammad despite a close contest. While his recent win against Sean Brady featured a knockout, Muhammad’s striking power remains a perceived weakness.

An inherent and critical flaw is Muhammad’s vision impairment, as he competes with lenses due to congenital visual issues. This condition may affect his ability to gauge distance and predict opponent attacks, potentially presenting a significant challenge in matches.

The most significant concern is the predictable and unexciting nature of Muhammad’s fights, leading to the perception of a “win and stop” mentality. While winning is crucial, the entertainment aspect of mixed martial arts is equally important. By addressing this issue, he could enhance his popularity and overall value as a fighter.