Jake Shields takes shots at UFC for erasing Belal Muhammad’s Palestinian flag, aims at Ari Emanuel

By removing the Palestinian flag from Belal Muhammad name on the UFC website, many are accusing the promotion of a glaring double standard.

While other fighters proudly display their national flags, Muhammad, a proud Palestinian-American, does not have the flag alongside his name on the list of UFC 315 bouts.

Following public backlash from fans and fellow fighters alike, former UFC veteran Jake Shields went further, openly questioning the decision and naming the UFC’s parent company, Endeavor, under CEO Ari Emanuel.

Shields went on to make things personal by invoking Emanuel’s alleged family connection to the Irgun, a paramilitary group that was responsible for several vicious attacks in the mid-20th century, perhaps most infamously, the King David Hotel bombing.

Shields said:

"The UFC is owned by Ari Emanuel. Ari’s father was a member of the Irgun which was the world's first terrorist organization. They did many attacks like bombing the King David Hotel(91 killed) in the Yassan massacre where they killed 244 Palestinians mostly women and children"

Check out Shields' X post below:

The crossover between politics and sports isn't an altogether new phenomenon in the UFC.

Amid all these controversies, the reigning welterweight champ, however, is still getting ready to face Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315.

Yet, the larger discourse about the UFC and its sometimes selective willingness to ignore a national representation continues to eclipse the fight, raising questions about political influence and fairness in the promotion.

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Michael Bisping advises Belal Muhammad on strategy for Jack Della Maddalena

Michael Bisping has emphasized the importance of Belal Muhammad doing his first title defense against Jack Della Maddalena strategically, rather than being on his toes constantly and buying into a striking fight.

Although Muhammad has improved on his stand-up game over the years, Bisping pointed out that Della Maddalena is one of the best pure boxers in the UFC, with precision, timing, and range control as his biggest assets.

With that, the former champ believes Muhammad would be ill-advised to have a stand-up war with Della Maddalena, who has true knockout power and has displayed the finesse to break down his opponents with pinpoint shots.

Bisping said:

"Belal is a cardio machine, but if he keeps it on the feet, it's going to be a problem."

Check out Bisping's comment in the video below (5:48):