It took a long time for Belal Muhammad to get a title shot. The Chicago-born welterweight was unpopular among fans and the UFC for the same reason—his proclivity for decisions and his lackluster grappling-heavy fighting style. He had to go on a ten-fight unbeaten streak and stop Gilbert Burns in a short-notice fight in 2023 to finally earn a title shot.
And even then, the UFC tried its best to shaft him, giving Colby Covington a title shot before ‘Bully B’. At long last, with no other real contender on offer, Muhammad got his title shot last year, winning it in style at UFC 304. Everything he had worked for his whole life finally paid off as he achieved his dream of becoming a UFC champion. Alas, Muhammad couldn’t defend it even once and lost the title to the destructive Jack Della Maddalena after a five-round war at UFC 315.
According to certain rumors doing the rounds, Khabib Nurmagomedov has gifted ‘Bully B’ an acre of land in Dagestan and a Lamborghini to cheer him up. ‘The Eagle’ has a soft spot for Muhammad, which is why he didn’t want Islam Makhachev to move up to welterweight until ‘Bully B’ held the title.
So a Lamborghini, which could cost anywhere between a quarter and three million dollars, and some land would be a great pick-me-up for Muhammad after the tough loss. But is it true? Did Nurmagomedov really gift Belal Muhammad a supercar and some land? There is no evidence that it is. Instagram account ‘rus_news_hour’ has made these claims in a recent post on their handle, claiming the news had been reported by Ariel Helwani.
“Khabib Nurmagomedov gifted Belal Muhammad a Lamborghini and a one-acre (4046 square meters) plot of land in Dagestan as a gesture of support and encouragement after his defeat in the title fight to Jack della Maddalene. This is reported by journalist Ariel Helvani,” the post read.
But except for this post, there isn’t much evidence that ‘The Eagle’ gave any such gifts to ‘Bully B’. We also couldn’t find any reports talking about the gift from veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, whom the post claims broke the news. To be fair, Nurmagomedov giving a gift to Belal Muhammad wouldn’t be surprising given their relationship, but there is no evidence yet of any Lamborghinis or land being gifted.
Khabib Nurmagomedov integral in Belal Muhammad winning UFC title
Belal Muhammad has always looked up to Khabib Nurmagomedov. After all, both men were dominant grapplers, and there weren’t many dominant Muslim fighters in the UFC at the time ‘The Eagle’ was making his mark on the sport. So naturally, he was drawn to the Dagestani superstar.
“I look up to him and I wanna emulate his style, the way he fights, and the way he acts as a champion,” Muhammad would say of his love for Nurmagomedov. “I consider him [Khabib] the GOAT…you have a guy go that many fights undefeated, unblemished, no bleeding, and that’s why I consider him the GOAT.”
Moreover, the former champ is of Palestinian heritage and fights under the Palestinian flag. Not to forget, Muhammad and Nurmagomedov also have a professional relationship to boot. In fact, Muhammad went to Dagestan to train with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and their Dagestani cohorts for his UFC 304 title clash.
And the results were fantastic. ‘Bully B’ wiped the floor with Leon Edwards, winning the title in style, to the delight of Khabib and co. And now that Muhammad has lost the title, maybe he will go back to Dagestan to prepare for another title push. What do you think about the rumors of ‘The Eagle’ gifting presents to Belal Muhammad?
The post Fact Check: Did Khabib Gift $3M Lamborghini & Dagestani Plot to Cheer Belal Muhammad After UFC 315 Loss? appeared first on EssentiallySports.
