September 3, 2024 • 2hr 49min

JRE MMA Show #162 with Belal Muhammad

The Joe Rogan Experience

Joe Rogan sits down with newly crowned UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad to discuss his recent title win over Leon Edwards, his unique path to becoming champion, and his thoughts on potential challengers. Muhammad provides insight into his training methods, fight preparation, and future goals as champion.

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Key Takeaways

Belal Muhammad won the UFC Welterweight Championship by defeating Leon Edwards, silencing doubters who didn't think he deserved a title shot
Muhammad started training MMA at age 23, much later than most fighters, making his rise to champion even more impressive
He uses an unconventional pre-fight warmup of light sparring to get mentally prepared, rather than just hitting mitts
Muhammad has trained and fought during Ramadan, fasting during daylight hours, which he feels gives him a mental edge
He believes Kamaru Usman would be a tougher fight than Shavkat Rakhmonov, but has strategies prepared for both potential challengers
If he defends the title a few times, Muhammad wants to move up to middleweight to try to become a two-division champion
He emphasizes the importance of game planning and strategy rather than just relying on being in shape to fight

Introduction

Joe Rogan sits down with newly crowned UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad to discuss his recent title win over Leon Edwards, his unique path to becoming champion, and his thoughts on potential challengers. Muhammad provides insight into his training methods, fight preparation, and future goals as champion.

Topics Discussed

Winning the UFC Welterweight Championship (02:18)

Belal Muhammad discusses his recent title win over Leon Edwards, which silenced many doubters who didn't think he deserved a title shot. He explains how he put constant pressure on Edwards from the opening bell, not allowing him to dictate the pace or distance:

"We saw that he's an expert at distance. He manages the distance. He puts it at his own pace. So we were like, bro, we got to make this dirtiest fight, the hardest fight for him. So we got to step right away."

Muhammad's game plan was to stay in Edwards' face and not let him get comfortable at range
He focused on moving forward constantly, even when the referee was giving instructions
This pressure style negated Edwards' usual kicking game and forced him to fight moving backwards

Unique Path to Becoming Champion (45:09)

Muhammad reveals that he started training MMA relatively late at age 23, much later than most elite fighters:

He only had two years of high school wrestling experience before starting MMA training
His high school wrestling coach introduced him to MMA after becoming a professional fighter himself
Muhammad fell in love with the sport quickly and had his first amateur fight after only two months of training
He was in school to become a lawyer but kept pursuing MMA, telling his mom he would quit if he ever lost

Rogan emphasizes how impressive it is for Muhammad to reach the pinnacle of the sport starting so late: "That's way behind the curve. Way behind, way behind."

Unconventional Pre-Fight Warmup (1:16:24)

Muhammad describes his unique pre-fight warmup routine of light sparring, rather than just hitting mitts:

He has a training partner put on headgear and shin guards to spar lightly before the fight
This helps him get mentally prepared and feel the distance/timing before stepping in the cage
He aims to feel like it's the 3rd or 4th round when he walks out for the fight
Muhammad acknowledges it's risky but feels it gives him an edge

"I like to spar in the back before my fights. I like to feel it. So I'll have them put a shin guards on a headgear, and I'm throwing a lot harder than them, but I want to feel that, so I can feel the distance."

Training and Fighting During Ramadan (1:20:27)

Muhammad discusses his experience training and even fighting during Ramadan, when he fasts from sunrise to sunset:

He maintains his normal training schedule, including morning practices without food or water
After the first 3-4 days, his body adjusts to training while fasting
He feels it puts him in a different mental and spiritual place
Muhammad believes it gives him an edge knowing his opponents aren't pushing themselves as hard

"I know that whoever I'm training for is not doing what I'm doing, so I could push myself harder than them when it gets into the cage, when I can't drink, when I can't eat."

Thoughts on Potential Challengers (1:25:48)

Muhammad gives his thoughts on potential challengers for his first title defense, namely Kamaru Usman and Shavkat Rakhmonov:

He believes Usman would be the tougher fight but beating him would do more for his legacy
Rakhmonov is seen as an undefeated "boogeyman" that would silence remaining doubters
Muhammad feels he has strategies prepared for both fighters from studying them previously
He emphasizes his ability to adapt his style to exploit weaknesses in different opponents

"I think Usman's a tougher fight than Shavkat, if I'm being honest. But I do see many ways where I could beat them both because I've...there's a lot of guys in the division that have to fight a certain way. They're specialists, whether they're either grapplers or strikers. I could strike with you, I could grapple with you, I could wrestle with you."

Future Goals as Champion (1:30:04)

Muhammad outlines his goals for the future as welterweight champion:

He wants to defend the title a few times at welterweight first
After that, he hopes to move up to middleweight to try to become a two-division champion
Muhammad believes he has the size and skills to compete at 185 pounds
He's motivated to continue proving doubters wrong and inspiring others

"I feel if there's anybody that can and be willing who deserves it, it would be me, because I had to fight five top five guys to get to where I am now. So I think at least two more than I could start talking about one middleweight."

Importance of Game Planning and Strategy (1:26:34)

Muhammad emphasizes the importance of game planning and strategy in his fights, rather than just relying on being in shape:

He and his coaches break down opponents extensively to develop specific strategies
This allows him to adapt his style to exploit weaknesses in different fighters
He contrasts this with fighters who just say "I see red" and don't have a real game plan
Muhammad credits this strategic approach for his success against top opponents

"We like it as like, what's this guy's weakest point, Leon? Can't move backwards. Let's move him backwards. Gilbert Burns, he can't take you down. He's gonna gas out. He's not gonna take me down. Let's beat him up on the feet a little bit. Brady, he's only good on the ground. All right, let's strike with him."

Conclusion

Belal Muhammad's journey to becoming UFC Welterweight Champion is a testament to his determination, work ethic, and strategic approach to fighting. Starting MMA training at a relatively late age, he overcame doubters to reach the pinnacle of the sport through meticulous game planning and a willingness to adapt his style to different opponents. As champion, Muhammad aims to silence any remaining critics through title defenses against top contenders like Kamaru Usman and Shavkat Rakhmonov before potentially moving up to middleweight to chase two-division champion status. His unique methods like training during Ramadan and light sparring before fights showcase his mental toughness and willingness to push boundaries in pursuit of success.