Belal Muhammad is scheduled to step into the octagon at UFC 315 in Montreal on May 10 for his initial welterweight title defense. He has stated that he will carry the Palestinian flag with him for this significant event.
Although he has previously carried the flag, questions arose regarding whether it would be permitted this time, particularly after the flag was briefly absent from his official UFC fighter profile. However, the flag was subsequently reinstated, and Muhammad clarified that its temporary removal was merely an error that the UFC quickly corrected.
Confirming his intention to MMA Fighting, Muhammad was unequivocal: “Yeah, 100 percent. We’ve talked about it and they’ve accepted it. Nothing is going to stop me from doing it.”
Muhammad, who is of Palestinian descent through his parents, has been a vocal advocate concerning the ongoing conflict in the region since hostilities first began. He has actively participated in fundraising efforts and openly expressed his solidarity with Palestine through interviews and across social media platforms.
He plans to maintain this level of public awareness and support in the period leading up to his fight against Jack Della Maddalena.
Describing the challenging circumstances, Muhammad commented, “It’s hard, especially right now. It’s been over two years now where they’re dying, they’re starving, the people over there are in so much pain. The world’s just watching it. The world’s just coming up with excuses for it. It’s wild.”
While defending his UFC title holds immense importance to him, Muhammad stressed that his efforts are always aimed at supporting something larger than himself, especially in light of reports indicating a lack of medicine, fuel, or food being transported to people living in the Gaza strip for the past 60 days.
Despite these dire conditions, Muhammad previously revealed that he continued to receive messages of encouragement and congratulations after securing his UFC title last July. This outpouring of support has further fueled his motivation ahead of the title bout at UFC 315.
“For me, it just makes me want to work that much harder for them,” Muhammad explained. “It makes me go to the gym, run that extra mile, lift that extra weight. Because I can’t lose. There’s no way I’m going to let the people see me not get my hand raised. When they see me fight that day, they’re going to see that flag get raised… They’re going to see me get on the mic and talk about them… be a voice for them.” He added, “The only way I can be their voice is by continuing to win. I just have to keep continuing to work, keep continuing to push it and it’s all in god’s hands. God has a plan for everything and I’m hoping this finally comes to an end soon.”
Though focused on his upcoming match, Muhammad stated that the welfare of the people in Palestine is never far from his thoughts. Consequently, he has dedicated as much effort to drawing attention to the situation there as he has to generating excitement for his May 10 return.
This deep connection is a key reason why Muhammad remained so resolute about carrying the flag with him to the octagon – to ensure he can continue representing the people of Palestine on the most prominent stage available.
“Like I said, I’ve just been getting so many messages, people just wanting to know what’s happening there because they see me carrying that flag and what it means and what it means to me,” Muhammad shared. He challenged those who witness the suffering and turn away, stating, “If you’re human, you want to know what’s going on there. If you’re human and you see it and you ignore it, you’re not really human. You don’t have a soul. If you can see kids starving, if you see kids dying, if you see all their suffering and you just turn your head away, look at yourself in the mirror and really ask yourself: What would you do if those people were from a different country? What would I do if those people weren’t Arab? What would I do if those people weren’t this color?”
He concluded by observing, “Just so many people out here that are afraid to speak up, afraid to say something, afraid to do anything because they’re afraid of the consequences. There shouldn’t be consequences for being human.”
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely