Belal Muhammad is not letting anyone take a shot at him and get away. Within days of his heartbreak against Jack Della Maddalena, Muhammad is back on the grind. Trying to prove himself as a fighter of top quality, Muhammad is looking to make a quick turnaround. And now, en route to his quest to reclaim the gold, the former welterweight champion has a new name- Ian Garry.
The Irish mixed martial artist recently took some brutal verbal jabs against Muhammad. Dissecting his last fight, Garry opined that Muhammad went for ego rather than practicality. And that’s why, instead of getting to the ground, he tried to outbox Della Maddalena. Continuing his statement, Garry then threatened to ‘box Muhammad’s ears off’ if the former champ applied a similar strategy with him.
“I’m going to box the ears off you… Belal, learn from your last loss and never ever try and stand and bang with me,” said Garry.
Ian Garry to Belal Muhammad:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 7, 2025
“I’m going to box the ears off you… Belal, learn from your last loss and never ever try and stand and bang with me.” 😳
🎥 @iangarryMMA #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/2xJtqR8JeE
Well, Muhammad is not the one to let the insult pass. Immediately, he took up the challenge and replied to the Irishman. Muhammad stated that he is up for a fight at the Madison Square Garden in November 2025. Surely, this goes on to show the fearless nature of Muhammad when it comes to choosing opponents inside the octagon. Meanwhile, Ian Garry isn’t the first person to take a jab at Belal Muhammad.
Kevin Holland Mocks Belal Muhammad Post Jack Della Maddalena Loss
Although Belal Muhammad became a champion, his ratio with fans was not a very good one all along. Even some of the fighters from the roster too, had a cold tension going on with the former welterweight champion. One such name is Kevin Holland. Despite Muhammad’s praiseworthy efforts against Jack Della Maddalena, Holland did take a dig at Muhammad. Speaking on UFC 316 media day, Holland pointed out that it was a pleasant sight watching Muhammad lose.
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“It was pretty cool to see Belal lose the belt. I’ve never thought the world of Belal. He’s a hard worker, he puts in the work. But I mean, camps boil down to who’s going to put in the most work and as long as you outwork during the camp. You can damn sure outwork him in the fight. That’s all he really has is work ethic,” said Holland.
Surely, it looks like Belal Muhammad has quite a lot of work to do in order to gain unanimous validation. Now, while he is ready to chase greatness, it remains to be seen who he stumbles upon en route.
Also Read: Belal Muhammad Teases Return On Same PPV As Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev
