Belal Muhammad on CM Punk: ‘He’s A Friend and A Brother’

“I want to be a tag team with Punk”

Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. For one final week, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy stories in the fight world.

Belal Muhammad on Kamaru Usman: “Kamaru is the biggest name in the division, but the only problem is he’s on a three-fight losing streak”

Belal Muhammad is getting a lot of fanfare as the new UFC Welterweight Champion. After grinding his way to the top of the division, his accomplishments are finally getting recognized.

One of the most meaningful celebrations of his title win took place in, of all places, a WWE ring, when CM Punk took a moment last week on Raw to praise Muhammad on his career-defining title win.

CM Punk is a longtime supporter and friend of Belal Muhammad / WWE

“That’s my brother,” said Muhammad. “We used to train together in Roufusport Milwaukee. He’s a good friend, he’s from Chicago, and any time we’re together, we’ll hit the stairs together or something and get a good workout in. He’s truly a genuine, good person. Seeing him give me that shout-out on Raw, that was epic. He’s always wanted to see me succeed.

“I used to love Raw and I loved watching Punk. Then I got to know him, and he’s such a down-to-earth, good dude. He’s a friend and a brother.”

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WWE and UFC share the same parent company, Endeavor, which could allow for a moment on-screen for Punk and Muhammad.

“I want to be a tag team with Punk,” said Muhammad. “I was supposed to go to SummerSlam, but I went to Abu Dhabi for the UFC fight. I knew Punk was making his comeback and I wanted to see it, and then I saw Jelly Roll in the ring, and I was thinking, ‘Hey, that could have been me!’”

Muhammad won the welterweight title in stunning fashion, flat-out dominating Leon Edwards last month at UFC 304. Edwards (22-4, 1 NC) entered the fight having won 12 of his last 13 fights, with a no-contest against Muhammad the only time his hand was not raised. But his sharp striking and elite takedown defense were negated almost entirely by Muhammad, who overwhelmed Edwards for the majority of the five-round title fight.

“I’d been breaking him down for a full year, and I didn’t see what everybody else was seeing,” said Muhammad, 36. “I wasn’t listening to all his hype. I knew that my style, stylistically, was a terrible match-up for him. My team is very good at finding weak points, and we found where he was weakest.

“You always have a vision, and we put it into action. It was the perfect fight for me.”

Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) has now won 10 of his last 11 bouts. He has smothered his opponents, yet was overlooked repeatedly for a title shot–and likely would not have received another had he lost against Edwards.

“Some guys take the stairs to the top, some get the luxury of riding the escalator,” said Muhammad. “I had to mountain-climb my way to the top. I knew I was getting only one chance–I knew I wasn’t getting another shot. No, I had one shot, and I needed to show I was that much better than Leon.

“That made me the most complete fighter in the UFC, and my mental capacity is higher than a lot of these guys. Some guys don’t know how to handle it once they lose, some guys don’t know how to respond once the competition gets tougher. I’ve fought the best, now I am the best.”

The welterweight division is in an interesting state. Edwards is unlikely to get an immediate rematch, which opens the door for a new challenger–who, more than likely, is a familiar face in the division–former champion Kamaru Usman. Right now, Muhammad defending the belt against Usman makes more sense than a title fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov–though with so many prognosticators believing Rakhmonov is destined to become champion and rule the division, a victory against him would be another testament to Muhammad’s dominance.

“A number-one contender fight to decide who is next, that would be ideal, but I also want to stay active,” said Muhammad. “I don’t want to wait six or seven months. Kamaru is the biggest name in the division, but the only problem is he’s on a three-fight losing streak. That’s a legacy fight, and I like that Kamaru is already chirping at me–that makes it more fun.

“Obviously, Shavkat is the boogeyman. Everybody thinks he’s going to be the next champion, so I’d like to beat him and shut everybody up. Whatever happens, I’m just going to keep fighting the best guys. The only guy I won’t fight is Colby [Covington], even if it’s a big money fight. Colby’s trash. I want to build up my legacy and be on that level as GSP [Georges St-Pierre].”

It is possible that Muhammad makes his first title defense later this year, especially following UFC CEO Dana White’s statement that Conor McGregor will not fight on the December pay-per-view.

“Since Dana said McGregor won’t be on that card, if they need a main event for December, that would be ideal for me,” said Muhammad. “I’ve got some bumps and bruises, but I’d be ready by then.”

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Time for a farewell–for now

This is the final week of The Weekly Takedown for Sports Illustrated.

As I wrote in yesterday’s Week in Wrestling column, I have been grateful for every moment of time with SI. Connecting with readers was the highlight, and my goal was to share a different side of the story with pro wrestling and MMA.

I will be with SI until this Sunday, and I’ll be covering UFC 305 this Saturday.

There is more writing in my future, with details coming when the time is right. Until next time, thank you for reading.