Belal Muhammad has confirmed his intention to walk to the octagon displaying the Palestinian flag when he steps in to defend his welterweight championship for the first time at UFC 315 in Montreal on May 10.
While Muhammad has previously carried the flag during his fight entrances, recent speculation arose regarding whether this would still be permitted after the flag was briefly removed from his official UFC fighter profile. However, the flag was later reinstated, with Muhammad clarifying that its removal was simply an error that the UFC quickly corrected.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” Muhammad stated confidently when asked about walking out with the Palestinian flag. “We`ve talked about it and they`ve accepted it. Nothing is going to stop me from doing it.”
Muhammad, whose family originates from Palestine, has been a vocal advocate regarding the ongoing conflict in the region since it began. He has actively supported Palestine through fundraising efforts, interviews, and social media platforms.
He plans to maintain this level of advocacy in the days leading up to his title defense against Jack Della Maddalena.
“It`s hard, especially right now,” Muhammad shared, reflecting on the situation. “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 the UFC title is a major career milestone, Muhammad asserts that he is always fighting for a cause much larger than himself, particularly in light of reports indicating that people in the Gaza strip have been cut off from essential supplies like medicine, fuel, and food for the past 60 days.
Despite the incredibly difficult conditions his people face, Muhammad previously shared that he received messages of support and congratulations from them after winning his UFC title in July. He says this has served as a profound source of motivation for his upcoming championship 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. When they see me win 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. They`re going to see me get on the mic and be a voice for them.”
He continued, “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.”
Even as he prepares for his high-stakes fight, Muhammad maintains that the people of Palestine are constantly on his mind. This connection drives him to dedicate as much effort to drawing attention to the humanitarian situation there as he does building anticipation for his return to the octagon on May 10.
This unwavering focus is precisely why Muhammad is so resolute about carrying the flag with him into the octagon – it represents his commitment to representing the Palestinian people on the sport`s biggest platform.
“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. “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 addressing the broader issue: “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.”
