Chael Sonnen doesn’t understand the criticism surrounding former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.
Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) lost his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 last month in a Fight of the Night battle. Muhammad is often criticized for his fighting style, but he stood toe-to-toe with Della Maddalena for five rounds.
Sonnen says the hate toward Muhammad is unwarranted. He praised him for taking on all comers and taking the long road to the top.
“Why does the whole world treat him like crap? What did Belal ever do to anybody,” Sonnen told The Schmo. “Half of the UFC, it’s divided in the first floor and second floor. The guys on the second floor don’t like him; the guys on the first floor do like him. I don’t understand this. All Belal has ever done is fight the hardest guys, ask for opportunities and keep his mouth shut when it doesn’t go his way.
“He walks out there in an undercard against Sean Brady, who by the way nobody else has ever, prior or since, even come close to beating. They don’t ever give him his credit. The best thing he’s done, which was about two weeks after his fight, he called for his next fight which by the way had he won, is what he would have done days ago.”
Sonnen also liked the way Muhammad handled his loss, and his determination to get his belt back.
“There’s a time in life where if you ever want to become a gentlemen you have to learn how to lose,” Sonnen added. “You have to learn that if things don’t go your way, you get back on that horse. That’s a great example that Belal set for everybody and it’s yet another thing that he won’t get credit for, but he deserves it.”
