Inför UFC 288 uttryckte UFC-chefen Dana White att vinnaren mellan Belal Muhammad och Gilbert Burns skulle gå match om titeln härnäst. Muhammad och Burns drabbade samman i den delade huvudmatchen på den stjärnspäckade galan i Newark, New Jersey. Burns skadade armen tidigt i den första ronden och blev sedan dominerad av Muhammad under stora delar av matchen. Muhammad vann till slut via enhälligt domslut (50–45, 49–46, 49–46).
UFC-mästaren Leon Edwards förväntas att ta sig an den topprankade welterviktaren Colby Covington senare i år. Det är dock ännu oklart när matchen kommer att gå av stapeln. Edwards har uttryckt att han skulle vilja gå match på UFC 294 i Abu Dhabi i oktober.
Muhammad har för tillfället en vinstsvit på nio matcher och har inte förlorat sedan 2019. Innan matchen på UFC 288 besegrade 34-åringen den topprankade UFC-talangen Sean Brady på UFC 280. Muhammad avslutade Brady via TKO i den anda ronden. Reaktionerna från MMA-världen på Muhammads seger har varit många, se reaktionerna nedan!
Belal still has problems with New Jersey ?
He makes it clear who's next on his list after #UFC288! pic.twitter.com/NLANqrCH9Z
— UFC (@ufc) May 7, 2023
Wtf are they booing belal
— Sodiq Yusuff (@Super_Sodiq) May 7, 2023
Man Belal always comes with the game plan. Left kick this time. Circled into the shot against Luque. Stayed in a real low stance and 1-2’d Brady. He has a plan and he sticks to it, so smart#UFC288
— Lauren Murphy (@LaurenMurphyMMA) May 7, 2023
Congrats @bullyb170 ???
— Sergio Pettis (@sergiopettis) May 7, 2023
New Jersey is rowdy tonight. What are they even booing?? #UFC288
— Chase Hooper (@chase_hooper) May 7, 2023
Belal going heal to build for the title fight! ? #UFC288
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) May 7, 2023
50-45 Belal on my scorecard. Could be 49-46 if you give Gilbert the 4th.
Either way – technical domination by Belal Muhammad. Props.
I'll be interested to hear what happened with Burns' arm. #UFC288
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) May 7, 2023
Is something wrong with Gilbert shoulder ?! #UFC288
— Renato Moicano (@moicanoufc) May 7, 2023
Time to give Belal Muhammad his credit. Three rounds or five, he was a man on a mission tonight. Pressure, volume, constant stance switches ?? #UFC288
— Farah Hannoun (@Farah_Hannoun) May 7, 2023
Not a thrilling fight here from Muhammad and Burns but not sure what people were expecting. They signed for this 16 days ago. Not proper prep for a bout of this magnitude. #UFC288
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) May 7, 2023
Today on ABC I picked Muhammad & Cejudo, half way there. Either way this fight should be intriguing. #UFC288
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) May 7, 2023
So Belal is one of my best friends. A brother. Gilbert is my teammate and a good friend of mine. This sucks for me. May the best man win tonight ⚡️ #UFC288
— Jared Gordon (@JFlashGordonMMA) May 6, 2023
Beating an injured Burns isn't going to convince Belal's skeptics. Maybe that's fair, but it's also pretty clear Belal is massively improved from a few years ago.
— Luke Thomas?️♀️ (@lthomasnews) May 7, 2023
Before fight: Showing pic of Belal foot and video of him walking and saying Belal preparing excuses when he lose.
After fight: Burns injured shoulder and that´s why he lost.
Belal Muhammad just build different. #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/WxLvncwcST— Thanks to all who support (@HARDWORKx2) May 7, 2023
Fresh off Ramadan, on 2-weeks notice, Palestinian fighter Belal Muhammad earns a massive win over Gilbert “Durinho” Burns.
This sets him up for a welterweight title shot.
You can’t deny this man anymore. 10-fight win streak. Remember the Name.
Dammi Falastini ??#UFC288 pic.twitter.com/5dBdakQ3qT
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) May 7, 2023
https://twitter.com/DagestaniLs/status/1654187619356495880
https://twitter.com/Lets_talk_now_/status/1655067462415654912
Belal Muhammad is doing better than Khamzat Chimaev pic.twitter.com/RUyPdFB3MD
— Aj (@AjDuxche) May 7, 2023
https://twitter.com/TheFutureMMA/status/1655066479597875201
Just how good is "2 week notice" Belal Muhammad?? #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/Xb8fEFUFRs
— AWURED0 20-0 (@AOUREDOO) May 7, 2023
Belal Muhammad haters right now ❤️ #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/u5kmcvcWCJ
— Dana Exotic?? ♥️♥️ (@DanaExotic) May 7, 2023
HETAST JUST NU
- UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo – Resultat, bonusar och höjdpunkter
- Reaktioner på Sterling vs Cejudo: ”Ned i spagat – som en strippa!”
- VIDEO: Sean O’Malley äntrar oktagonen – utmanar om UFC-titeln härnäst!
- UFC 288: Aljamain Sterling besegrar Cejudo – buas av hemmapubliken!
UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo – Fullständiga resultat
Huvudkort
- Titelmatch i bantamvikt: Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Henry Cejudo
- Weltervikt: Belal Muhammad besegrar Gilbert Burns via enhälligt domslut (50–45, 49–46, 49–46)
- Stråvikt (damer): Yan Xiaonan besegrar Jessica Andrade via TKO (slag) – Rond 1
- Fjädervikt: Movsar Evloev besegrar Diego Lopes via enhälligt domslut (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)
- Fjädervikt: Charles Jourdain besegrar Kron Gracie via enhälligt domslut (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
Underkort
- Lättvikt: Matt Frevola besegrar Drew Dober via TKO (slag) – Rond 1, 4:08
- Lätt tungvikt: Kennedy Nzechukwu besegrar Devin Clark via submission (giljotin) – Rond 2, 2:28
- Weltervikt: Khaos Williams besegrar Rolando Bedoya via delat domslut (27–30, 29–28, 29–28)
- Stråvikt (damer): Virna Jandiroba besegrar Marina Rodriguez via enhälligt domslut (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)
Tidigt underkort
- Tungvikt: Parker Porter besegrar Braxton Smith via TKO (slag) – Rond 1, 2:10
- Mellanvikt: Ikram Aliskerov besegrar Phil Hawes via KO (slag) – Rond 1, 2:10
- Catchvikt (189 lbs): Claudio Ribeiro besegrar Joseph Holmes via TKO (slag) – Rond 2, 3:21
