Georges St-Pierre had high praise for UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.
Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) makes his first title defense against Jack Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) May 10 in the UFC 315 headliner (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Bell Centre in Montreal.
Muhammad has reiterated the phrase, “GOAT is the goal,” as he looks to surpass former nine-time UFC welterweight champion St-Pierre. “GSP” complimented Muhammad’s well-rounded style.
“Belal is the complete package,” St-Pierre told Bloody Elbow. “He’s good everywhere and he’s got a very awkward style that throws a lot of people off, especially standing up in the striking department. Jack, on the other side, he’s on a tear. He’s got a good momentum, he’s on a winning streak and it’s going to be an interesting fight.
“On one side, Jack – I think could have the advantages in the striking department. But it’s not only a kickboxing match – it’s mixed martial arts, and that’s when I believe if I’m Belal Muhammad, that’s where you take advantage of it. I think he’s got more tools to win, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to win.”
St-Pierre doesn’t look at Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena as just a grappler vs. striker matchup, but explained what makes Muhammad so effective.
“It’s always about cracking the code, and he’s the champion for a reason,” St-Pierre said. “Nobody has cracked the code so far and Belal’s style is very aggressive. He puts a constant forward pressure and he makes guys fight on their heels. He’s very good at changing levels and changing the momentum of the fight and that’s his main asset. That’s his bread and butter. Jack, on the other side, is a very good striker.”
