UFC title loss wasn’t all negative for Belal Muhammad, says well-known MMA manager

Belal Muhammad no longer holds UFC gold, but he didn’t leave Montreal empty-handed.

Muhammad attempted to secure a successful UFC welterweight title defense against Jack Della Maddalena on May 10. The championship fight headlined UFC 315. While Muhammad was never out of the fight, Maddalena was a step ahead of him on the feet. Muhammad’s takedown attempts were also thwarted, leading to a unanimous decision win for Maddalena.

The fight was still competitive, and Muhammad’s manager believes his athlete gained more fans than ever thanks to his efforts.

RELATED: BELAL MUHAMMAD MADE HUGE MISTAKE AT UFC 315, SAYS FORMER WORLD CHAMPION

Belal Muhammad Gained Fans in Defeat, Says Ali Abdelaziz

During an interview with MMAJunkie.com, Ali Abdelaziz said the UFC brass heaped praise on Belal Muhammad after his defeat to Jack Della Maddalena.

“This fight, Dana would not stop praising Belal,” Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. “He didn’t do media. He was texting me, sending me photos. He said, ‘One of the best welterweight fights I’ve ever seen.’ I think Belal may have lost, but he gained so many fans, so much respect. Nobody can ever say Belal is a boring fighter. He’s not, and he showed it.

“It was a great fight, and I believe if Belal a little bit changed strategy, it would have been different. Sometimes you show up, you prepare, but it’s not your night. And guess what? It was a very close fight. It was 3-2, it’s not like he got murdered for five rounds. Maybe he had a little bit more damage, but Jack’s face was damaged, too. All credit and congratulations to Jack. Belal will be back.”

Muhammad will now see his friend and teammate Islam Makhachev compete for the welterweight gold. Makhachev has decided to vacate the UFC Lightweight Championship in a bid to win gold in a second weight class. A win for Makhachev would leave some question marks for Muhammad’s future in the division, as both men have said they will not fight each other.