Has it become the norm for UFC champions to sit out a year before defending their titles? It certainly feels that way in this new era, where traditional workhorse champions have been replaced by modern-day playboys. Stagnation is no longer an exception—it’s becoming the trend. Take Belal Muhammad, for example. ‘Remember The Name’ is finally gearing up to face Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 next month, but let this sink in—he’s fought just once in the past 719 days.
Belal Muhammad won the welterweight title when he outclassed former champion Leon Edwards inside the Octagon at UFC 304. ‘Remember the Name’ was deep in enemy territory, but that didn’t stop him from walking out with the Palestinian song and delivering a performance that shocked everyone. Making a statement inside the Octagon, Muhammad cemented his status as one of the best.
After his UFC England endeavor, undefeated Kazakh warrior Shavkat Rakhmonov called out to the UFC, as well as Belal Muhammad, for a title fight. With a track record of 100% winning ratio, ‘Nomad’ became the next big challenge for the Palestinian-American fighter. After months of back-and-forth, the UFC CEO, Dana White, booked a clash between Rakhmonov and Muhammad for UFC 310; however, ‘Remember the Name’ had to pull out of the clash bone infection.
Belal Muhammad has fought 1 time in the last 719 days pic.twitter.com/Nglv7GjZ3o
— Casual MMA (@CasualMMAinc) April 23, 2025
‘Remember the Name’ recovered from his infections within a month; however, he declined to fight before the holy month of Ramadan, which lasted from March to April. Well, after the UFC announced their plans to hold an event in Canada, Belal Muhammad chimed in as he emphasized that he would love to headline the event, but Rakhmonov was not ready for the endeavor, as he was injured in his battle against Ian Machado Garry.
However, the UFC made a professional move by bringing in Jack Della Maddalena at the last minute to step up against the champion and headline the event. Well, if we have a closer look at Belal Muhammad’s career, we can see that the champion has fought only four times in the last three years. Promised to be an active champion, Muhammad is surely going back on his own words. Let’s take a look at how fans are reacting to this situation.
Fans rip apart Belal Muhammad for being inactive inside the Octagon
With only four fights in three years, it’s fair to say that Belal Muhammad, now as a champion, should be more active inside the Octagon. There was a time when champions like Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman defended their titles twice a year, but the opposite seems to be happening in the UFC right now. Looking at this, a social media user wrote, “Needs to get fighting again.”
Amidst the criticism, a lone Belal Muhammad fan called out the trolls, “He’s fight next month, hold your horses.”
After winning the title, Muhammad emphasized that his next goat would be to make sure he remains at the top. “My early goal was to be the champion. My next goal is to be the best welterweight to ever do it. I want to be up there and cemented as one of the GOATs of the welterweight division. I’m already looking at what’s next for me and who’s next. We’re going to have this title for a while, and I just can’t wait to get out there and start fighting again.” However, since his injury, things have been a bit different, and the fans can see it as well: “Loved all the talk about him wanting to be an active champion after he won the belt.”
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 27: Belal Muhammad reacts after his victory against Leon Edwards of Jamaica in the UFC welterweight championship bout during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
In his entire MMA career, Belal Muhammad has secured only one victory by knockout and one by submission. His lack of finishes has been a frequent point of discussion, with fans often trolling him for it. One fan even wrote, “This guy is not a draw. No ko power. No great subs. No wonder he hasn’t fought. The only thing he has fought is his way to a decision title.”
Furthermore, a fan even emphasized that the fighters should not have such rights that would make them bigger than the sport itself, “This is why we need less fighter rights. Look what happens when they have freedom? They never fight, and t——– sympathizers become champions and hold up divisions. MMA is in a sad place right now.”
Last but not least, a social media user expressed his frustration over the stagnation, “And people said he would be active as a champ.”
As the fight date draws near, Belal Muhammad is expected to capitalize on his wrestling skills against Jack Della Maddalena, a predominantly striking-based fighter. What are your thoughts on this matchup? Share your opinions in the comments below!
The post Calls Mount Against Belal Muhammad’s Inactivity Before Tough Fight Against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
