Belal Muhammad is an excellent wrestler. In fact so good is ‘Bully B’ at his craft that he has been on the receiving end of the fans’ wrath for the better part of his UFC career. Despite his dominant run in the UFC and stellar record, a vocal section of fans find him a ‘boring’ fighter.

While his grappling-heavy fighting style has brought him immense success, most fans find a striking-first, bar-brawler style of fighting much more exciting. Except when it comes to former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who became one of the biggest stars in the world with his dominant ground game. This is why many think that Muhammad has a lot to learn from Nurmagomedov, an opinion the American wholeheartedly agrees with and indeed tried to do before his first shot at the UFC gold.

What is the relationship between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Belal Muhammad?

Belal Muhammad and Khabib Nurmagomedov have several common factors between them. But the welterweight is not related to the former champion or his protege, friend, and successor Islam Makhachev. Muhammad has great respect for the master of their shared craft. While they may not be related by blood, ‘Bully B’ does consider ‘The Eagle’ a big brother.

Nurmagomedov grew up in his native Russian province of Dagestan. He has almost single-handedly made the region famous even as he has reportedly taken Emirati citizenship in early 2024. On the other hand, Muhammad had quite a different experience of growing up half a world away in the American metropolis of Chicago.

‘Bully B’ is American by birth but he proudly represents his parents’ native land of Palestine. Muhammad fights under the Palestinian flag and is also incredibly vocal in supporting the people of his parents’ beleaguered homeland.

They may be of different nationalities and ethnicities, but Muhammad and Khabib are both devout Muslims. Along with his support for the Palestinian cause, one of the other things he has been vocal about is how great it was to train with ‘Khabib.’

Belal Muhammad praises Khabib Nurmagomedov’s training skills

For Belal Muhammad, the MMA GOAT debate is already settled, and will politely disagree with anyone saying otherwise. ‘Bully B’ says that Khabib Nurmagomedov is the MMA GOAT. The duo share an excellent relationship, the most recent evidence of which came when Muhammad enlisted ‘The Eagle’s help prior to his UFC 304 title shot against Leon Edwards in July 2024.

The results have apparently been miraculous! Speaking about the incredible results he has seen of training with Nurmagomedov, ‘Bully B’ revealed that just getting to pick the Dagestani’s brain and getting advice on game planning and how to deal with his opponents has been extremely helpful.

“It benefits me everywhere, right? Physically, mentally, spiritually. It just puts me on another level. Training with [Khabib] and getting advice from him is worth 20, 30, 40, 50 days with anybody else. Just being able to feel his strength, feel his pressure, feel his knowledge, too, that he gives you, and to have him give me advice and what he thinks I should be doing… The knowledge is endless, because to me, I think he’s the GOAT of the MMA world in the UFC and just like a brother,” Muhammad told CBS Sports in an interview.

‘Remember the Name’ has also been vocal about Nurmagomedov’s hospitality during his training with their team in Abu Dhabi. He said in an interview that Khabib’s team filled his kitchen with groceries and were willing to provide anything he needed during the stay. Surely, the Russian knows how to be a gracious host. What are your thoughts on Belal Muhammad and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s relationship? Will it help him win the title this weekend in Manchester?