Belal Muhammad blames Ian Machado Garry’s repeated eye pokes for UFC Qatar loss

Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad didn’t hold back on Ian Machado Garry in his first in-depth remarks since UFC Qatar.

UFC welterweight contenders Belal Muhammad and Ian Machado Garry clashed in a pivotal matchup in the division at UFC Qatar last month. Garry squeaked out a unanimous decision victory to hand Muhammad his second-straight defeat in the Octagon.

It was a disappointing setback for Muhammad after losing the UFC welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena earlier this year. Now, Muhammad will likely need to go on another impressive win streak to make the case for another title shot.

Throughout the UFC Qatar co-headliner, there were brief stoppages due to accidental eye pokes from Garry to Muhammad. Garry wasn’t deducted any points, and the fight played out without any additional infractions.

Belal Muhammad calls for dramatic rule changes following UFC Qatar loss

In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Muhammad shared the first in-depth breakdown of his performance at UFC Qatar and questioned Garry’s integrity.

“What did we see in the fight? Obviously, we didn’t see much, got poked in the eye three times,” Muhammad said.

“He understood that poking in the eye was going to win the fight, especially when you do it early, especially when you don’t get points taken away from you. The rules need to be changed, there needs to be repercussions.

“Otherwise, guys are going to keep doing it! What’s the point?”

Muhammad’s comments come amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding Tom Aspinall’s no-contest against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. In Aspinall’s first heavyweight title defense, the fight was abruptly stopped after several eye pokes from Gane left the champion unable to continue.

UFC CEO Dana White recently said that although eye pokes will likely never be fully eliminated from MMA, there are steps the promotion can take to mitigate the issue.