It may not have electrified the fans, but Belal Muhammad’s performance on Saturday makes him increasingly difficult to ignore as a welterweight title contender.
In the main event of UFC on ESPN 34 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, “Remember the Name” used lateral movement, heavy kicks and above all his offensive wrestling to control and frustrate Vicente Luque for five grueling rounds. With the unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47), Muhammad snapped Luque’s run of four straight wins, extended his own unbeaten streak to eight on a row and avenged his 2016 loss to the Brazilian.