Belal Muhammad silenced any doubt that he is one of the best welterweights in the world on Saturday night as he proved a puzzle too difficult for Vicente Luque to solve in the main event of UFC Fight Night.
Luque was a small favorite heading into the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Muhammad was entirely in control of the fight excluding a third round in which he was repeatedly stumbled by Luque. Muhammad flummoxed his opponent with constant side-to-side movement along the fence line, making it difficult for Luque to get a rhythm or land straight punches. Muhammad utilized whipping body kicks to score points from a distance and landed takedowns once Luque was caught up with striking exchanges.
Hard work paying off for @BullyB170!
— UFC (@ufc) April 17, 2022
Mention his name at the top of the division 😤 #UFCVegas51 pic.twitter.com/vfz5nEF31S
Muhammad landed takedowns in each of the first four rounds, including a third-round in which he was rocked meaningfully by Luque. But Muhammad did well not to panic as he instead continued to move, throw strikes and eventually lure Luque into leaving the opening for a takedown. Muhammad was awarded a unanimous decision with two judges scoring it 49-46 and one scorecard reading 48-47.
Following his victory, Muhammad spoke with UFC commentator Daniel Cormier, where he called out Colby Covington. He criticized "Chaos" for taking fights against Jorge Masvidal and Tyron Woodley, both of whom entered the Covington fights on consecutive losses, and challenging lightweights like Dustin Poirier. Muhammad also took a moment to acknowledge his fellow Palestinians, stating that his fight in the Octagon was nothing compared to what they fight for every day.
Muhammad (21-3, 1 NC) extended his undefeated streak to eight with wins over the likes of Luque, Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia. Luque (21-8-1) saw his four-fight winning streak snapped in defeat.
