UFC star Belal Muhammad inspired by Floyd Mayweather’s fighting style: ‘The best boxers are defensive’

Belal Muhammad recognizes that there will be a life for him after fighting and he wants to be as healthy as possible to enjoy it.

Remember the Name’ is fresh off an impressive unanimous decision victory over one-time UFC title contender Gilbert Burns last month, securing his spot in line for a welterweight title opportunity. When and where that takes place is yet to be determined, but Muhammad will likely be waiting a while as reigning champion Leon Edwards is first expected to defend his title against the always-outspoken and often-controversial Colby Covington.

In the meantime, Belal Muhammad is staying active in the gym and readying himself for an opportunity that many feel is long overdue. Recently, Muhammad appeared on 670 The Score, to discuss his career trajectory, including life beyond the Octagon. During their conversation, ‘Remember the Name’ showed some respect for undefeated boxing legend Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather and his style of fighting that, while not always the most exciting, favored his health and longevity above all else.

“For me, I’m a big striker. So I like to make people miss and hit them,” Muhammad said of his fight style. “Like [Floyd] Mayweather said, the point of the best boxers is that that they don’t get hit. The best boxers are defensive, right?“

Belal Muhammad is Not Interested in Throwing Caution to the Wind

“I think that’s where a lot of people get it wrong,” Muhammad continued. “They want the blood and the guts, but you know there’s a life after fighting. So, you’re going to take all these big shots in a fight just to put on a fight for the fans. Be like ‘Oh yeah, I’m bleeding, this is cool!’ but after the fight, how does your body feel? How does your mind feel?” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Belal Muhammad has amassed an impressive 14-2 record inside the Octagon since making his promotional debut in 2016. ‘Remember the Name’ is currently riding a nine-fight win streak including wins over Sean Brady, Vicente Luque, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, and Demian Maia.

Meanwhile, the man that has seemingly leapfrogged him for a welterweight title shot, Colby Covington, is 2-2 in his last four and has zero wins against any fighter in the welterweight division’s current top-15.