UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad is confident that his experience in the Octagon will be the deciding factor when he faces Sean Brady at UFC 280 this weekend. Muhammad is undefeated in his last eight fights, telling MMAJunkie that he plans to “dictate” the fight from the very beginning.
“I’m gonna dictate where it goes. I think my last three or four fights, they’ve all been different styles. I’ve had to play defensive grappling with Demian Maia, I’ve had to play offensive grappling with with ‘Wonderboy,’ I’ve had to do both with Luque, so I’ve showed that I can be a chameleon and I could pick and choose what I want to do, and I think he hasn’t had that. All of his fights, they’ve been grapple-heavy, because guys that he’s fought allowed him to do that.
Belal Muhammad Promises to “Dictate” Brady Fight at UFC 280
Once he gets in there with me and he feels me and he realizes, ‘Dang, this wasn’t what I thought it was gonna be,’ and he starts panicking, that’s when I pick and choose and start picking him apart, because a lot of guys, they all underestimate me. I’m still an underdog in this fight.
I’ve been an underdog in my last four fights and people just don’t understand it until they’re in the cage with me that they realize that (I’m) No. 5 for a reason. (I’ve) beat these guys for a reason. It wasn’t because of age, it wasn’t because of this, it wasn’t because of that. I think I have the best IQ in the division, and I think I’m the best fighter in the division.”
Muhammad continued, pointing out that he’d “love” another five-round fight after his latest outing, a decision win over Vicente Luque.
“I definitely wanted it to be five rounds, especially after that last five-round fight. But the biggest thing for me was just fighting here, because I think it could have been a main event on any Fight Night card, but I said I wanted to be on this fight night, I wanted to be on this card, biggest card of the year, be back here in Abu Dhabi, because the last time I was here – the energy, the fans, it was amazing.
I was like I want to come back, I need to come back, and I need to be put on this card.” Do you think UFC 280 will go according to Belal Muhammad’s plan? Let us know in the comments.
