Belal Muhammad discloses why he asked Khabib Nurmagomedov to be in his corner, jokes about getting punched by Hasbulla (Exclusive)

Belal Muhammad recently spoke about his decision to have former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner at UFC 280.

The No.5-ranked welterweight contender has been training extensively with Nurmagomedov's team ahead of his scheduled fight against the division's up-and-comer Sean Brady. Muhammad is brimming with confidence going into the fight at UFC 280 with 'The Eagle' in his corner.

Speaking with Andrew Whitelaw of Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Belal Muhammad claimed that Nurmagomedov's vision and considerable experience working with some of the best minds in the game led to his decision to have the Dagestani in his corner:

"There are some guys out here that can coach and not fight, and some guys that can fight and not coach. But he [Khabib Nurmagomedov] can do it all. He's been mentored and taught by some of the best coaches in the world...and I think that his style of coaching, his knowledge, the vision that he has, is special."

Muhammad added:

"There's some guys out there like,' He [Belal Muhammad] has Khabib with him for clout.' I didn't have to put him in my corner. I just know and I saw what he sees and how good he is in the corner as a coach. The knowledge that he brings to the table is another level."

Watch our exclusive interview with Muhammad below:

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"My jaw was hurting for a little bit" - Belal Muhammad jokes about Hasbulla's punch

Belal Muhammad got a taste of internet sensation Hasbulla Magomedov's famed power ahead of UFC 280. The world-famous content creator will be in Islam Makhachev's corner when he takes on Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight championship.

'Remember The Name' has been training with the Russian team in preparation for his fight against Sean Brady on the same card. Hasbulla, an internet smash famous for his spoof videos, landed a punch on Muhammad when the pair met each other.

Watch the video below:

Speaking in the same exclusive interview about the encounter, Muhammad joked that his jaw was hurting a little bit after the punch:

"My jaw was hurting for a little bit [laughs]. After that I was like, 'This kid is strong. It came out of nowhere.' But it was hilarious man. It was so good meeting him, he's such a cool dude."

Belal Muhammad is unbeaten in his last eight fights and firmly believes that he should be next in line to challenge for the title with a victory over Brady.

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Viewers in India can watch the LIVE coverage of UFC 280 on SONY TEN 2 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) & SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels at 11:30 pm IST on October 22, 2022.