Belal Muhammad has just been put through a very tough training camp courtesy of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
There is a huge event going on this weekend in Abu Dhabi. UFC 280 will take place on Oct. 22 and will be headlined by a lightweight title fight featuring former champion Charles Oliveira and top contender Islam Makhachev. Much has been made of Makhachev and his rise in the UFC. Many times talk of his success goes hand in hand with his training under former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov was an amazing fighter in his day. He decided to retire early and now works exclusively with his team in a mentor/coach role. One of his most notable students is Makhachev, who has been called “The Next Khabib” on several occasions. However, now Nurmagomedov has taken another fighter under his wing, UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad.
Belal Muhammad describes just how tough Dagestan training camps are
Muhammad will also be fighting on the UFC 280 fight card. He will be up against the undefeated Sean Brady and has decided to add a little extra help to get him ready for this bout. Muhammad enlisted the help of Nurmagomedov and company and has now explained just how much the change has helped him.
“I’ve been in many different gyms and when they say they train different, they’re different,” he explained on the Jibber with Jaber podcast. “These guys, they’ve been doing it since they were kids, and their level of strength or level of grappling, the level of just, when Khabib walks into the room, it’s like an army there’s no joking around. There’s discipline, like no other. And then also just to be being a Muslim, and being around all those guys, like we’re training killing each other and then right after we’re praying at the mosque right there. So just being embraced more into the culture, into the religion has been another amazing thing about being here so early, because it just brings you closer to God in general. It gets your mind off of the stresses of the daily life in America.”
Nurmagomedov has always been vocal bout his religion and having Muslim people around him. He recently scolded UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev, for not having Muslim people around him in training camp. Muhammad now sees where Nurmagomedov was coming from and has taken quite a bit from his time with the crew from Dagestan.
“You had those days where it’s like I’m sore today or I’m tired today I know what guys to go with that are gonna be a lighter round or a round that I know I can control myself and be alright with that day. Here there’s not one easy round in the room. Every single one of these guys is a monster and I don’t care what weight class they are,” he said. “Their technique is just flawless with all these guys. So that’s one of the crazy things that also it’s the training is just a lot harder.
Muhammad is currently ranked fifth in the welterweight division. He has won seven fights in a row, with a no-contest thrown in there. The no-contest was against the current champion Leon Edwards, a fight that Muhammad believes should be run back if he can get past Brady at UFC 280. He feels he is better prepared now thanks to his new training camp crew.
