In a stunning performance, Belal Muhammad proved himself to be a force to be reckoned with by toppling Gilbert Burns in the co-main event at UFC 288, positioning himself for a welterweight title fight. Accepting the challenge on short notice following Ramadan, Muhammad displayed his skill by relentlessly pressuring Burns with quick, sharp combinations and a series of punishing body kicks. His technical precision led him to a unanimous decision victory, with judges scoring the bout 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46.

Muhammad’s ten-fight win streak remains unbroken, and he attributed his victory to his faith in God, declaring confidently that, with adequate time, he could defeat any welterweight fighter on the planet.

Notably, some of his most impactful moments came from reacting to blows he received. In this fight, as well as in his bout against Khamzat Chimaev, it was clear that getting hurt only led Muhammad to become more dangerous.

Despite taking the fight on short notice, Muhammad executed his strategy with near-perfection, sticking to his game plan from the opening bell until the very end. He switched stances frequently to throw Burns off his game, and his straight lefts kept coming, one after another.

When Burns landed a powerful right hand, Muhammad responded with punishing body shots that forced Burns to defend his ribs and left him open for a powerful punch that wobbled him momentarily.

While Burns did return a glancing blow that backed Muhammad away, the attacking fighter did not waver. He continued to throw body kicks to open up shots to the head, which were quickly having an impact.

Burns, looking defeated, mentioned to his corner that his left hand was injured, which compounded what was already a difficult challenge against Muhammad’s multi-faceted offense.

Despite the obvious advantage, Muhammad refused to let up. He relentlessly pressured Burns with his left kick, which Burns could barely defend. This was on top of his continuing to target Burns’s left arm, which was also damaged.

The pace slowed briefly but Muhammad dominated in all aspects of the fight. While Muhammad’s well-balanced, technically-effective performance was not the highlight-reel knockout fans often crave, it was still a massive accomplishment to defeat a highly-respected opponent like Burns.