Belal Muhammad Losses: How Many Times Has the UFC Star Lost? Story Behind His ‘No Contest’ Fight

Belal Muhammad has proved to be one of the toughest opponents that the current welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, has ever faced. Kicking off his career as a cell phone store owner to competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Muhammad has traversed a challenging path. Specifically, he has faced three perilous fights and one no-contest.

Needless to say, people learn from their mistakes, and Muhammad has certainly learned from his. Today, let’s take a deep dive into the defeats that ‘Remember The Name’ has faced in his UFC career.

Who has Belal Muhammad lost to?

Muhammad had just won the Titan FC Welterweight Championship, which earned him a move to the UFC. However, his UFC debut went horribly wrong when he lost to Alan Jouban via unanimous decision in 2016. Despite the defeat, Muhammad delivered an impressive performance, earning Fight of the Night honors. The fight was closely contested, with both fighters landing over 100 strikes. Jouban edged out the victory with three knockdowns, while Muhammad’s two takedowns weren’t enough to sway the judges.

Muhammad gained new fans after the Jouban fight and didn’t disappoint them in his next bout, defeating Augusto Montano via TKO. This success led to a high-profile match against Vicente Luque, but it ended disastrously for ‘Remember The Name.’ He was knocked out in the first round, with the fight lasting only 80 seconds—a significant blow to his popularity. Nevertheless, Muhammad rebounded from that brutal knockout and went on an impressive four-fight winning streak.

His third loss came against Geoff Neal in January 2019. Muhammad was outclassed throughout the fight, as Neal successfully defended all of his takedown attempts and knocked him down twice, securing a unanimous decision victory. Outstruck and out-wrestled by Neal, Muhammad has since made significant improvements to his game.

Muhammad trained diligently and went on a four-fight winning streak before facing ‘Rocky’ in 2021, followed by another five consecutive wins. Did you know the first fight with Edwards was declared a no-contest? Let’s explore why.

The only ‘No Contest’ in Belal Muhammad’s record: What happened?

Muhammad and Edwards faced off at UFC Vegas 21, competing for the #1 contender’s spot. The fighters were razor-sharp at the start of the match, but chaos erupted in the second round. Just 18 seconds into the round, Muhammad fell to the ground, clutching his face and screaming in pain. Referee Herb Dean quickly intervened to stop the fight.

Upon reviewing the replays, it was revealed that when Muhammad rushed in to kick Edwards, the Jamaican extended a left fist. Unfortunately, Edwards’ middle finger poked Muhammad’s right eye, causing a severe injury. Ringside doctors quickly examined Muhammad and determined that he couldn’t see, leading to the fight being declared a no-contest.

Later, Muhammad reassured his fans on social media, confirming that there was no permanent damage to his eye and that he would return soon to finish his fight with Edwards. After nearly three years, ‘Remember The Name’ finally got the chance to fight ‘Rocky’ again for a shot at the welterweight championship belt.

Will Muhammad successfully apply the lessons he learned from his losses in his fight against Edwards? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.