Belal Muhammad already has a nickname however “The Bully” desires so as to add onto his monikers by displaying off one in all his most underrated expertise when he faces Jack Della Maddalena within the UFC 315 major occasion.
Greatest recognized for his relentless strain and by no means ending cardio and conditioning, the reigning welterweight champion has labored tirelessly on always including new weapons to his arsenal. Whereas there’s no rating of the instruments he’s trying to showcase in his first title protection, Muhammad admits that displaying off his arms would most likely sit on the high of that record.
“For myself, particularly these final couple of fights, I’ve been utilizing my arms lots,” Muhammad instructed MMA Preventing. “I’ve been utilizing the Canelo [Alvarez] boxing. I wish to put it to the take a look at. I wish to put it to the take a look at and have that second the place I’m going that’s why I’m the perfect boxer within the UFC. That’s why I’m the perfect boxer within the welterweight division.
“All these individuals are going to maintain hating, they’re going to maintain questioning how we hold doing it. However we simply continue to grow and we hold getting higher.”
After all, Muhammad has touted his putting previously and in contrast his boxing to multi-time champion Canelo Alvarez however these declarations have normally been met by derision from followers.
None of that bothers Muhammad a lot, particularly as a result of a part of his job because the UFC’s high welterweight is making certain that he’s prepared for no matter any given opponent would possibly throw at him.
In his upcoming battle, Della Maddalena is a documented knockout artist with critical energy in each arms and that fashion would possibly make most opponents keep away from many encounters with him on the ft.
Muhammad acknowledges and acknowledges that about Della Maddalena’s sport and he guarantees he’ll present no worry in these exchanges however he can’t say the identical about his opponent relating to nearly each different facet surrounding this battle.
“Everytime you go right into a battle, you clearly search for the opponent’s weaknesses,” Muhammad defined. “I attempt to handle that and strategize in the direction of that. So for me, I might beat him in many alternative methods. I might outstrike him if I wish to. I might out kickbox him if I wish to or I might outwrestle him if I wish to. I do know I’ve all these totally different paths to victory. For him, he can solely win a technique. One particular approach and that might be by knockout.
“He’s not going to outlast me. He’s not going to outwork me. He’s not going to outmuscle me. He’s not going to outgrapple me. In order that’s why I at all times try to be the perfect model of myself. I don’t actually prefer to deal with him, extra so I prefer to [think] what did we do final battle? Let’s develop on that. Let’s get higher at that and let’s simply present a distinct model of ourselves. So for this battle, that’s what I plan on doing.”
When Muhammad was initially making ready for his first title protection he was making ready for a matchup towards undefeated contender Shavkat Rakkhmonov the place he was truly the underdog.
Sadly, Rakhmonov suffered an harm that prevented him from preventing as early as Could so he was changed by Della Maddalena and Muhammad’s odds shifted with the brand new opponent.
He’s now favored to win however Muhammad says whether or not his opponent was Rakhmonov or Della Maddalena, his mission at all times stays the identical.
“For me, I not often take a look at the percentages,” Muhammad stated. “I at all times prefer to be even tempered after which simply deal with the duty at hand. There’s at all times going to be people who find themselves like ‘this can be a onerous battle or a simple battle or you possibly can simply do that’ however each fighter is totally different. Each battle’s totally different. For Jack, he’s been out over a yr, I’m certain he’s been engaged on stuff. He’s going to be a distinct model of himself. However I’m the perfect model of myself I’ve ever been. I’m the perfect I’ve ever felt.
“The thrill that I’ve simply to go on the market and battle, I’m on one other degree, particularly that point off once I couldn’t take that battle in December and I used to be out for six weeks, it simply rejuvenated me. It made me keep in mind and really feel that feeling beforehand of the starvation that I needed to be right here. The starvation that I needed to chase this dream. The starvation that I needed to get this title. We’re by no means happy so I’m at all times wanting on the subsequent objective, at all times wanting on the subsequent impediment and Jack’s in my approach. So I’ve received to finish him.”
To finish Della Maddalena at UFC 315, Muhammad is staying prepared for every little thing however admittedly ending this battle by knockout would possibly result in that new nickname.
“one hundred pc [that would mean more],” Muhammad stated. “After which for me, I can simply change my title to Canelo boxing, Canelo arms after I end by knockout.”
