Who Is Belal Muhammad? UFC Champion Who Was Forced to Remove the Palestinian Flag

Let me ask you this: Would you carry the flag of a nation where you don’t really reside? No, right? So, why does Belal Muhammad carry the colors of the Palestinian flag on his shoulders, even though he is from Chicago? It’s one of the questions that has boggled the entire MMA realm’s mind. And when Muhammad claimed, “I’m never going to shy away from representing my people,” the intrigue around his nationality rose even higher.

Today, we’ll take a look at the welterweight champion’s link to Palestine. Let me tell you that it’s not just because a few Palestinian children train with ‘Remember The Name’ in his gym. On top of that, we’ll also revisit the time when the UFC banned the fighters from carrying their country’s flags into the arena. 

Real reason behind Belal Muhammad carrying the Palestinian flag

Even though Belal Muhammad currently resides in Chicago and was born on US soil, his parents hail from Palestine. And he has always represented his Palestinian heritage with pride. Even before he stepped into the UFC cage, Muhammad used to cover himself in the Palestinian flag and represent his parents’ homeland through the act. But with the rise in the conflict between Palestine and Israel, the act became a beacon of hope for the Palestinians. 

The welterweight champion once quoted, “For me now, I have a voice for the voiceless, there aren’t a lot of Palestinian athletes that have a stage or platform where they can carry the flag. Especially, during these times, I need to carry that flag higher than ever and show the world that we do exist, that we are a country, and there are real people there.”

And before his title defense at UFC 315 in Montreal, the Palestinian champion appeared in an interview with MMA Fighting. Therein, he said, “When they see me fight that day, they are going to see that flag get raised. When they see me win that day, they are gonna see that flag get raised. They are gonna see me get on the mic and talk about them. They are gonna see me get on the mic and be a voice for them. The only way I can be that voice is by continuing to win. So I have to keep continuing to work, keep continuing to push it, and it’s all in god’s hands. Right, God has a plan for everything. And I’m hoping that this finally comes to an end soon.”

February 26, 2025, Montreal, Pq, CANADA: UFC 315 welterweight champion Belal Muhammad speaks during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz to announce his upcoming fight against Jack Della Maddalena in Montreal on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. Canada News – February 26, 2025 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY – ZUMAc35_ 20250226_zaf_c35_046 Copyright: xChristinnexMuschix

And when asked if he would shoulder the Palestinian flag at UFC 315, he claimed that there was nothing that could stop him from doing so. But do you know that there was a time Dana White and Co. had to ban the fighters from wearing their flags? 

Why did the UFC ban flags?

It was May 7, 2022, when the UFC decided to stop fighters carrying their country’s flags. And that stemmed from the rising violent unrest between Russia and Ukraine. Dana White and Co. simply didn’t want any potential political controversies walking out to the Octagon amid some severe international tensions. And this ban pushed the MMA promotion to take a more neutral stance, highlighting its apolitical and inclusive nature. 

This was a pretty straightforward act enough to even prevent the UFC head honcho from talking about it. When the media asked the UFC CEO about the ban following UFC 274, he simply stated, “You guys know why. Let’s not even play that f—— game.” Nevertheless, the MMA promotion was pretty quick to lift the ban and let the fighters represent their nations. 

Dana White apologizes for Belal’s flag removal & restores it

White brought back the tradition of carrying flags on the shoulders in 2023. He announced, “I was on vacation during the Mexican Independence Day, and the no flag thing drove me crazy. So I was like, ‘Yeah, f— that. We’re bringing flags back.’ It drove me crazy.” But it was Muhammad who brought it all back to the headlines. 

In a video he shared on social media, ‘Remember The Name’ thanked White for bringing back the culture. He said, “I just want to give a quick shoutout to Dana. I talked to him, he said the flag’s back up tonight. (He) apologized, and that’s why I love the UFC. I love this company, and that’s why Dana’s the man. The only organization that lets you be yourself. And true to his word, and doesn’t let other people sway his attitude or what he’s going to do. So, shout out to Dana. Shout out to the UFC. Flag is back, baby.”

And now, as he gets ready to face Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, the welterweight champion certainly plans on representing his ethnicity by carrying the Palestinian colors on his shoulders. And we can imagine that the world of mixed martial arts will likely rally behind him as he strives for success in his first welterweight title defense. 

What are your thoughts on Muhammad’s sense of patriotism? Do you think the welterweight champion should get to carry both the Palestinian and US flags on his shoulders? Let us know what you think in the comments down below. 

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