Mixed martial arts fighter snatches UFC welterweight crown from current champion Leon Edwards.
Belal Muhammad made history by becoming the first mixed martial artist of Palestinian origin to win a UFC title, wresting the welterweight title from English champion Leon Edwards.
The 36-year-old American fighter, born in Chicago and the son of two Palestinian immigrants, scored a five-round unanimous decision victory (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) in their UFC 304 fight on Saturday.
With a bloodied face, Muhammad (24-3) fell to his knees moments after remaining undefeated in his 11th straight fight and having the championship belt wrapped around his waist. He hasn’t lost since 2019.
“It’s not just about me, it’s about them [Palestinians and the people in Gaza]” which he is fighting for, Muhammad was quoted as saying before his fight in Manchester, England.
He also proudly waved the Palestinian flag while promoting Saturday’s game while criticizing the Israeli war in Gaza.
Muhammad and Edwards fought no contest in 2021, an unsatisfactory result that sparked winning streaks for both fighters.
Edwards has won four in a row, while Muhammad has won five in a row.
In 2022, Edwards (22-4) defeated Kamaru Usman to win the belt and made two successful title defenses before facing Muhammad on Saturday.
‘We exist’
Muhammad has consistently highlighted his Palestinian origins, using Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf’s Dammi Falesteeni (My Blood is Palestine) as his strike song.
In 2021, Muhammad was quoted in the press as saying that, as a world-renowned fighter, he had “a voice for the voiceless.”
“There are not many Palestinian athletes who have a stage or platform where they can carry the flag. And now, especially in these times, I need to carry that flag higher than ever. To show the world that we exist, that we are a country and that there are real people there.
“Now I have a voice for people who don’t have a voice, for people the world wants you to forget. So if I keep shining a light on this, lifting their morale, lifting their hearts, I will do everything I can.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
