When Belal Muhammad spilled the secret behind the success of Muslim fighters in the UFC

Belal Muhammad is a notable name in the growing list of highly successful Muslim UFC fighters. Several believers of the Islamic faith have scaled magnificent heights of success in the sport of MMA.

One of the most famous Muslim athletes ever happens to be former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, whom Muhammad has extensively trained with. 'Remember the Name' even credited Nurmagomedov for helping him prepare for his rematch against Leon Edwards.

Muhammad fought and defeated Edwards via unanimous decision at UFC 304 (July 27, 2024) and was crowned the new UFC welterweight champion.

Speaking to UFC commentator Joe Rogan on the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast in Jan. 2023, Belal Muhammad addressed various topics. Notably, Muhammad spoke about how his faith has helped him.

Muhammad indicated that Nurmagomedov and most other Dagestani fighters are devout Muslims, with the discipline and practices of their faith lending well to their lifestyle as combat sportspersons.

Moreover, Muhammad implied that 'The Eagle' strictly monitors all fighters in the camp. Apparently, if anyone shows up to the gym looking tired, Nurmagomedov takes their phone away, urges them to train and sleep, and returns the phone the next day.

The American fighter of Palestinian descent noted that Nurmagomedov doesn't need to help others but still does, which is indicative of his greatness. Referencing Nurmagomedov's camp and the Muslim mentality, Muhammad stated:

"The whole team is full of killers. But I just want to bring their mentality. I think it's a different type of mentality that a lot of gyms don't have, of being more disciplined. And I think that comes from being Muslim. I think a lot of it comes from that. It's just, being religious, you're bringing a different type of discipline, where you have to pray five times a day, and every single one of the guys is doing that. None of their guys are drinking. None of the guys are going out and partying."

Watch Muhammad's assessment below (9:00-10:00):

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Belal Muhammad on a few basic Islamic rules that benefit fighters

Around the 2:40:00-minute mark of the aforementioned podcast episode, Belal Muhammad discussed the challenges of balancing training obligations during Ramadan, a festival that lasts around a month and sees Muslims observe fasts and pray.

Besides, at the 1:41:00-minute mark, Joe Rogan implied that the tough Dagestani camps are complemented by the strength of religion, as evidenced by Khabib Nurmagomedov's and other Muslim fighters' incredible success.

Rogan and Muhammad both seemingly concurred that Muslim fighters' religious beliefs help them overcome existential dread and the fear of losing, enabling them to gracefully accept wins and losses as part of God's plan.

Furthermore, addressing the practice of offering Namaz (traditional Islamic prayer) five times a day. Belal Muhammad highlighted the values Islam teaches. Muhammad said:

"It [Islam] also just builds you up from when you're a kid, just the discipline of -- I know I have to do this, this, and this every single day. I'm not allowed to eat this. I'm not allowed to eat pork. I'm not allowed to do this. I'm not allowed to gamble. I'm not allowed to play, drink, or anything like that. So, it puts you in those things. And a lot of those things are worse for you as a fighter, anyway."

He added:

"Like, you shouldn't be drinking. You shouldn't be eating pork. You shouldn't be going to clubs or anything like that. So, in the end, I think it's like the -- that's why you've seen most of the Muslims starting to be the best fighters out there."

Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below: