Belal Muhammad is one step closer to a title shot in the UFC welterweight division.
Muhammad defeated Vicente Luque via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) in the UFC Fight Night main event Saturday in Las Vegas.
The fight was a rematch from 2016, which Luque won by first-round knockout.
"This was a hump I had to get over," Muhammad said in his postfight interview. "He knocked me out. He beat me. I had to think about that my whole camp. The trolls on Twitter ... now what do you got to say? I won."
Muhammad's wrestling was the difference-maker in what was the first headlining opportunity in the UFC for both fighters. He scored at least one takedown in each round. While his ground-and-pound and submission attempts were limited, Muhammad's control from top position neutralized Luque.
The prevailing wisdom heading into Saturday's fight was that Luque was the superior striker. But Muhammad outperformed in that department, stinging Luque with his jab throughout the matchup. Luque pressured Muhammad toward the fence, but Muhammad's constant movement allowed him to land punches.
"It showed that I can do it all. ... I can wrestle with the best, I can strike with the best, I can grapple with the best," Muhammad said.
Luque rocked Muhammad with a pair of left hands in the third round; Muhammad's chin held up. It appeared the tide was turning in Luque's favor, but Muhammad returned to his wrestling and controlled his opponent down the stretch.
Muhammad said he wants his next fight to come against Colby Covington, who's ranked just below champion Kamaru Usman in the division at No. 1. Muhammad ripped Covington for wanting to face a lightweight in Dustin Poirier, whom "Chaos" called out after his main-event win over Jorge Masvidal in March.
"Let me get the big-mouth Karen, Colby Covington, who's out here calling out 155ers," Muhammad said. "Come fight a real 170-pounder, you coward."
With the victory, Muhammad extended his unbeaten streak to eight. "Remember the Name" moved into contention in 2021 with victories over former title challengers Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia. He was ranked No. 6 heading into Saturday's main event, while Luque sat at No. 5.
Luque saw his four-fight winning streak come to an end. This was his first loss since 2019.
