UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has said he’s heading into his UFC 315 title fight against Jack Della Maddalena with an underdog mentality.
Next month, Belal Muhammad will defend his UFC welterweight championship against Jack Della Maddalena. It is set to serve as the first time that he officially defends his strap following on from his dominant one-sided title triumph over Leon Edwards last year.
While JDM is expected to be a tough test, many believe that Belal Muhammad will be able to use his superior wrestling skills to overcome the challenger and keep hold of the gold. With that being said, it’s going to be easier said than done against a man who is willing to put it all on the line in pursuit of victory.
In a recent interview, Belal Muhammad opened up on the mentality he has heading into this contest.
Belal Muhammad embraces underdog mentality
“Yeah, I’m like bro, go back, get away from me, I don’t want the fans,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “I want the doubters, I want the people to tell me I’m going to lose because it just makes me work that much harder. But that’s why I have the circle around me, the teammates around me that keep me level-headed. There is no easy fight in this game, there is no easy win, as people will say it or the fans will say it.
“In my head, I’m going against the best striker in the world. In my head, I’m going against Canelo Alvarez, so I’ve got to train like I’m going against those guys so I don’t look past him, and I don’t take my foot off the gas. I’m still having that underdog mentality. For me, it’s not defending the belt. It’s still fighting for the belt again, it’s still remembering that it took me this long to get my title shot, it took me this long to get noticed by anybody. I’m not going to let it go. He’s not going to take it from me.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
