29 July 2024: Belal Muhammad has made history as the first mixed martial arts champion of Palestinian descent, reported Middle East Monitor on Monday. Muhammad claimed the welterweight crown from British world champion Leon Edwards on Saturday. The 36-year-old fighter, born in Chicago to Palestinian parents, secured a unanimous victory in the UFC 304 bout at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, marking his 10th consecutive win.
This victory followed a 2021 match between the two fighters that was declared a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke by Edwards. The event featuring two Britons in title fights was the largest UFC show on English soil and the first at the 23,500-capacity arena since its opening in May.
Speaking before the contest, Muhammad emphasised that the fight was not just for himself, but for Palestinians and the people in Gaza. He waved the Palestinian flag to the sound of Palestinian folk songs while promoting the fight, and criticised the Israeli war in Gaza.
“There aren’t a lot of Palestinian athletes who have a stage or platform where they can carry the flag. And now, especially during these times, I need to carry that flag higher than ever. To show the world that we do exist, that we are a country, and that there are real people there,” Al Jazeera reported Muhammad as saying.
“Now I have a voice for people who don’t have a voice, for people who the world wants you to forget about. So, if I keep shining a light on that, raising their morale, raising their hearts, I’m going to do whatever I can.”
The Palestinian community celebrated Muhammad’s victory in the streets of Manchester, recognising his achievement as a significant representation of Palestinian talent and resilience on the international stage.
