At the UFC 315 media day, Belal Muhammad threw down the gauntlet as he exclaimed, “My nickname’s ‘Bully B.’ I do see myself as a bully. I bully all these guys in the cage, so I’m gonna keep doing it.” After bulldozing Leon Edwards in Manchester to claim the welterweight crown, Muhammad’s message was clear, the throne isn’t rented. It’s owned. Now, as he prepares to defend his title in Canada, the Chicago native is sharpening his tools with one purpose: to silence the naysayers and critics once and for all!
His opponent? Jack Della Maddalena, the Aussie striker with fire in his hands and a perfect 7-0 UFC record. But Muhammad? He’s not impressed. In fact, he’s already mapped out how the night unfolds. And it sounds like something straight out of a Max Holloway highlight reel!
Belal Muhammad ready to take a page out Max Holloway’s book against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315
During his appearance on a recent interview with ‘Submission Radio’, ‘Remember the Name’ was asked how he plans to keep the belt around his waist once the Octagon doors shut behind him at UFC 315. Without missing a beat, Muhammad laid out his game plan as he stated, “I see me coming out the first round, implementing my boxing, showing him that I got better hands than him.”
In his mind, the opening round isn’t a feeling-out process, it’s a statement. After all, many in the MMA sphere feel as if this is a classic wrestler vs striker matchup. But Muhammad? He believes, “And then he’s gonna go into second round. His coach is gonna look at him like, bro, I thought you were a boxer.”
That imagined confusion isn’t arrogance. It’s experience talking. Muhammad has broken men with movement, pressure, and a pace that drowns their fight IQ. Just ask Leon Edwards, Gilbert Burns, or Sean Brady! Once Maddalena starts to question his tools, Muhammad believes the panic button will come next: wrestling.
He continued, “I don’t know what to do. Should I start wrestling? Then his coach is gonna be like, alright. Start wrestling. So then second round he is gonna come out, shoot a takedown on me.”
But that’s exactly where Muhammad wants him. He predicted the moment, anticipates the desperation, and already sees himself sprawling, smiling, then looking to Daniel Cormier cageside with a grin and a mic-drop moment, “Imma look at DC and do the Max Holloway. I’m the best boxer in the UFC.”
And if Maddalena dares to shoot again? Muhammad has the next page written. “I’m gonna turn and throw him off the fence, hit him with a body shot. He’s gonna drop.” The crowd? Roaring. The ref? Calling for action. And Muhammad? Still composed, still plotting, “Then I’m gonna feint the jab to the body and go overhand, and then he’s gonna drop.”
These aren’t just predictions, they’re premonitions. They come from a man who’s unbeaten in 11 straight fights, a grinder who wears his opponents down like sandpaper. And while some critics scoffed when he claimed the belt, the champion’s not interested in proving people wrong, he’s too busy proving himself right. In fact, he might just take on a new nickname when all is said and done at UFC 315!
Muhammad wants to change his nickname as he lays out a bold prediction for UFC 315
So what happens if Belal Muhammad finishes Jack Della Maddalena with a crisp overhand and walks away with a KO on his record? In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, the champion confessed, “I’ve been using the Canelo [Alvarez] boxing. I want to put it to the test.”
That’s right. Muhammad’s been sharpening his striking with serious intent. While the welterweight champion has often come under fire for his 80% decision rate in the UFC, he’s ready to turn the narrative around. He continued, “I don’t really like to focus on him, more so I like to [think] what did we do last fight? Let’s grow on that. Let’s get better at that and let’s just show a different version of ourselves.”
Originally, the Chicago native had been prepping for a very different opponent, Shavkat Rakhmonov. That fight fell through due to injury, and Della Maddalena stepped in. The Aussie is a certified finisher with a 57% KO/TKO rate. Most opponents avoid the fire. Belal Muhammad? He’s planning on walking straight into it, with gloves raised and footwork ready.
And if everything goes according to plan at UFC 315? Muhammad declared, “And then for me, I can just change my name to Canelo boxing, Canelo hands after I finish by knockout.”
In conclusion, the man called “Bully B” now envisions himself with the poise and precision of a Mexican boxing icon. He’s coming for chaos, for violence, for a finish that echoes through highlight reels and headlines alike. And if his vision plays out under the lights of UFC 315, there may be a new chant ringing through the crowd! Do you think Belal Muhammad has what it takes to knock out Jack Della Maddalena and silence the critics? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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