Belal Muhammad Ready to Unleash ‘Canelo Hands’ on Ian Garry to Silence Haters

Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad talks about striking with Ian Garry in the main event of UFC Qatar. 

Belal Muhammad Ready to Unleash ‘Canelo Hands’ on Ian Garry to Silence Haters

Belal Muhammad vs. Ian Garry is the UFC Qatar co-main event (via X)

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Following his devastating title defeat at UFC 315, Belal Muhammad is ready to make his comeback this Saturday at UFC Qatar. The fighter will take on top welterweight contender and rival Ian Garry, who is desperate to climb the rankings. While many fans and experts are predicting the fight to be a grappling contest, Muhammad seems to have some different plans. 

Muhammad is well known for his relentless pressure fighting and ability to control his opponents on the ground. However, in his last few fights, especially in the title fight against Leon Edwards, Muhammad showed his improved striking. 

He hilariously compared his striking with superstar boxer Canelo Alvarez, which has become a running meme in the MMA community. Going into UFC Qatar, the former champion plans to bring the same energy against Garry and dominate him everywhere. 

I’m going to grab hold of him, I’m going to take him down, then I’m going to let him back up, just because I’m going to show him, ‘I could take you down if I want to.’ Then I’m going to outbox him because he said he could outstrike me.

Belal Muhammad via MMA Junkie

Muhammad explained how Garry has been inside the Octagon against top strikers like Carlos Prates and Michael Page, but never got finished. On record, ‘Remember The Name’ doesn’t have much TKO finishes in the UFC and certainly lacks the punching power. However, Muhammad is confident about his skills and is planning to get a potential title shot with a dominant win. 

Garry, on the other hand, bounced back from his previous loss by beating Carlos Prates in his last bout via unanimous decision. The fighter wants to beat Muhammad this Saturday and then stop the champion Islam Makhachev’s winning streak. Following that, the Irishman plans to take his revenge against Shavkat Rakhmonov in his first title fight, if everything goes accordingly.

Both Muhammad and Garry appeared prepared for their upcoming contest when they recently encountered each other in the hotel lobby. They shook hands and shared a brief embrace, immediately clearing every lingering doubt among fans regarding any supposed bad blood. Garry revealed that the confrontation is strictly professional, viewing the matchup as his opportunity to secure the next title shot.

Belal Muhammad and Ian Garry shut down Kamaru Usman’s callout to fight Islam Makhachev

Last weekend, Islam Makhachev defeated Jack Della Maddalena to claim the new championship, creating massive disruption throughout the welterweight division. Makhachev and former champion Kamaru Usman have already spoken about arranging a potential matchup that could redefine their competitive standings.

Belal Muhammad vs. Ian Garry at UFC Qatar co-main event
Belal Muhammad vs. Ian Garry at UFC Qatar co-main event (via X)

Usman, who recently rebounded strongly from his losing streak, believes a fight against Makhachev would represent an event for fans. However, leading contenders Belal Muhammad and Ian Garry argue this matchup fails to reflect divisional merit and established competitive progression.

They believe the championship opportunity should prioritize fighters who have consistently proven themselves through performances rather than favoring arranged clashes.

Islam Makhachev needs to fight one of the young, up-and-coming contenders, not a has-been who has no knees.

Ian Garry via UFC Qatar Media Day 

Usman, at the age of 38, has often talked about his knees, which were destroyed after years of combat sports. Garry accused Makhachev of choosing Usman in order to get an easy opponent for his record-breaking 17th consecutive win. Belal Muhammad also believes Usman is a coward and doesn’t deserve to fight Makhachev with the current rankings. 

Similarly, Carlos Prates has also called out Makhachev following his last KO win over Leon Edwards at UFC 322. Shavkat Rakhmonov, who is currently in a recovery process, has also shown interest in fighting the Dagestani, adding to the growing competition. 

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