Reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad is set to put his title on the line against Australian challenger Jack Della Maddalena. The duo will headline UFC 315 at the Bell Center in Montreal on May 10, 2025.
Ahead of his highly anticipated return to the Octagon, certain elements of Muhammad’s personal life have once again come to the fore in fight fans’ discussions. “Remember the Name” has often been quite vocal about his representation of and pride in his heritage.
While he was born and raised in the USA, he’s known to still pay his respects to the land his family immigrated from.
Where Is Belal Muhammad From?
Muhammad was born in Chicago on July 9, 1988. As reported by Chicago’s WGN-TV, Muhammad’s parents are Palestinian immigrants. They moved from Palestine to Chicago in their younger years. Their son, who went on to become a professional MMA fighter and a UFC champion, was born and raised in the Windy City.
Muhammad is an American national but is also known to be deeply connected to his Palestinian heritage. Over the years, he has consistently represented his Palestinian roots, carrying Palestine’s flag on his shoulders during his official UFC fighter entrances/walkouts.
The 36-year-old MMA fighter also sports the flag at weigh-in ceremonies and other official UFC events, affirming his love for the land his parents hail from. Moreover, his most recent fight — a unanimous decision win in his rematch against Leon Edwards that earned him the UFC welterweight title in July 2024 — marked a historic achievement.
He was credited with the distinction of being the first-ever Palestinian UFC champion.
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Muhammad has often been lauded for representing Palestine on the global stage via his combat sports contests and his standing as a public personality. He’s also earned plaudits for working to contribute to social welfare causes to help those in need in the Middle East.
In the aftermath of his title-winning performance against Edwards last year, Muhammad reaffirmed his love for Palestine and underscored that he aims to continue inspiring the youth and others who share his heritage. Ahead of his upcoming title defense at UFC 315, “Remember the Name” said that he’s set to don the Palestinian flag when he walks out to defend his UFC 170-pound title in Canada.
When questioned about whether he’ll be walking out with a Palestinian flag at UFC 315, Muhammad asserted, “Yeah, 100%. Yeah, we’ve talked about it, they [UFC] have accepted it. And there’s nothing that’s gonna stop me from doing it.”