How badly will Belal Muhammad's performance be affected for fighting just after Ramadan? UFC fighter/analyst answers

Belal Muhammad's return to the octagon will come against Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 this weekend. While both fighters took the fight on short notice, 'Remember the Name' will also be less than a month removed from Ramadan. No.5-ranked light heavyweight Anthony Smith recently shared how he believes the No.4-ranked welterweight will be affected by fighting immediately following Ramadan.

Speaking to James Lynch on MMA Pros Pick, 'Lionheart' stated:

"Belal is a co-worker of mine, we've worked the desk together several times. I think it's a really risky fight for him. He's coming out of Ramadan. He already had some questions about trying to get a catchweight, which tells me that he's heavy, which you would think going Ramadan that a lot of those guys would be super skinny."

Anthony Smith continued:

"My friends and some of the Factory X guys that have gone through Ramadan, like Youssef [Zalal] is super fluffy right now, because they gorge themselves all night or late into the night and then because they can't eat or drink throughout the day, they kind of just chill and hang out. They don't really exert themselves a whole bunch so they're not burning a bunch of calories. I wonder if he's a little bit heavy and I wonder how much he's been training."

Check out Anthony Smith's full comments on Belal Muhammad below (starting at the 0:11 mark):

Smith added that Burns is set to fight in his third pay-per-view event this year and is constantly training. While he noted that things would likely look different with a full training camp, he believes Muhammad is taking a big risk by fighting on short-notice.

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Belal Muhammad thinks his 'Nate Diaz moment' will come against Gilbert Burns

Belal Muhammad has been inactive since defeating Sean Brady at UFC 280 last October. The No.4-ranked welterweight recently revealed that he is looking to make a statement against Gilbert Burns at UFC 288. 'Remember the Name' labeled the bout as his 'Nate Diaz moment', stating:

"It's my Nate Diaz moment. The Nate Diaz-Conor McGregor. This guy's taking everything I work for. I wanted the Khamzat fight, they gave it to Gilbert. I wanted the Masvidal fight, they gave it to Gilbert. Now, they're talking about Gilbert fighting for a title. You want to give him everything that I want? I'm going to have to take it from him."

Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below (starting at the 30:50 mark):

Nate Diaz famously called out Conor McGregor following his 2015 victory over Michael Johnson, accusing 'The Notorious' of taking what he has worked for. Less than three months later, he defeated McGregor in one of the most anticipated fights in mixed martial arts history.

Check out Nate Diaz's iconic call out below: