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Of late, a number of UFC fans spoke in favor of granting a title shot to the noted UFC Welterweight Belal Muhammad. ‘Remember The Name’ was on an impressive eight-fight win streak which propelled such demands from the fans. The Chicago native may be called one of the most famed Welterweights on the current UFC roster boasting a massive fanbase. Some of his fans have also been curious to know more about the outside UFC life of Muhammad.
It’s also a known fact that Muhammad doesn’t like airing the dirty laundry of his personal life in public. He is quite a private person. This leaves a lot of fan questions about him unanswered. Hence, here we will try to explore some parts of his personal life mostly related to his ethnicity and roots.
What ethnicity is Belal Muhammad?
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Most UFC fans know that the 34-year-old hails from Illinois, Chicago. Further, it’s also known that Muhammad was born and raised in his hometown of Illinois in Chicago. By virtue of being born here, ‘Bully B’ is an American citizen, although his roots are from the Middle East.
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Although Muhammad’s upbringing was entirely in the US and is a US citizen, the noted UFC Welterweight actually carries Palestinian roots. A number of UFC fans might have spotted that Muhammad also carries a Palestinian flag during his UFC walkouts.
Belal Muhammad’s Palestinian Roots
Belal was born in the year 1988 in Illinois to Palestinian immigrants. The name of his father is Abdullah Muhammad, while his mother’s name is Maha Muhammad. Reports also suggest that his parents hail from the ‘Al-Bireh’ region of Palestine. Although Belal has probably never witnessed the unrest in his ancestral home of Palestine, he still stands strong in support of them.
The age-long conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestinians regarding the landmass under their countries has seen a long and protracted conflict play out there.
With the Palestinian people bearing the worst of the brunt of any conflicts, Muhammed has vocalized his pro-Palestine views on multiple occasions. A lot of fans might also label this as staying true to the roots, which is definitely a positive aspect of one’s character.
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Muhammad’s ancestral hometown of Al-Bireh in the West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. All of this has combined to help Muhammad develop this strong desire within him to vocalize himself in favor of the Palestinian people.
Why does Belal Muhammad always carry the Palestinian flag?
As already mentioned, the Palestinian people have been oppressed by the Israeli armed forces a lot more than Israel had endured. Post, their independence, Israel has been continuously attempting to take over Palestinian land. The present-day map of these countries would also show that they have been quite successful in their attempts.
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Israel has taken over major chunks of Palestinian land, including Muhammad’s ancestral home of ‘Al-Bireh’. But for this, they have been driving Palestinians out of their homes and committing atrocities against them for a prolonged period now.
Hence, it’s pretty understandable that Muhammad never misses a chance to highlight the Palestinian flag. Apparently, he wants everyone to know about the numerous Israeli atrocities his own people had been going through for decades. Muhammad wrapping himself in the Palestinian colors is also a clear expression of his solidarity with the cause of the Palestinian people, which has gained center stage once again, given the recent developments in the region.