Julianna Peña, the UFC women`s bantamweight champion, expressed a rather unexpected view regarding her teammate Belal Muhammad`s loss at UFC 315.
Belal Muhammad`s run as UFC welterweight champion concluded last month at UFC 315 in Montreal, where he was defeated by Jack Della Maddalena. The bout went the full five rounds and is considered a contender for `Fight of the Year`, ultimately resulting in a unanimous decision win for Maddalena.
Following this victory, Della Maddalena is reportedly lined up for a potential fight against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Makhachev is expected to vacate his lightweight title soon, potentially paving the way for a champion vs. champion clash against the new welterweight king.
Despite receiving criticism after the fight, Muhammad has handled the surprising loss at UFC 315 with grace. However, his training partner holds a different opinion, believing the judges made an incorrect call at the event.
Julianna Peña: Belal Muhammad Was `Robbed` at UFC 315
Muhammad and UFC women`s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña share a long-standing training relationship in Chicago. Peña played an important role in Muhammad`s camp for UFC 315 and is convinced he performed well enough to secure the judges` favor and keep the welterweight title, despite the general sentiment.
Speaking at the UFC 316 media day press conference, Peña elaborated on why she felt Muhammad was unfairly treated by the scorecards at UFC 315.
She stated, “I didn’t believe Belal lost. I watched the fight and my reaction was, ‘Yes, we got it! He won!’ So, when they announced the other fighter as the winner – congratulations to him – but I genuinely thought Belal had won.”
Peña added, “The only real encouragement I offered him was saying, ‘My apologies, brother, you were robbed’.”
While Muhammad hasn`t openly claimed he should have won UFC 315 based on his performance, he is eager to compete again in the Octagon later this year. Meanwhile, Peña herself is scheduled to face Kayla Harrison in the co-main event of UFC 316 this Saturday in Newark.
Peña isn`t alone in thinking Muhammad should have kept his title. Jeremy Stephens, who recently returned to the Octagon at UFC Des Moines, also scored the fight for Muhammad, despite personally wanting Maddalena to win.
Belal Muhammad`s Recent Exchange with a UFC 316 Fighter
In the days leading up to his teammate Peña`s fight at UFC 316, Muhammad engaged in a public spat with another fighter on the card following blunt comments made during media day. UFC welterweight Kevin Holland admitted he was pleased by Muhammad`s defeat at UFC 315, leading to a sharp exchange between the two online.
Holland is scheduled to compete against Vicente Luque this Saturday at UFC 316, marking his return to competition. Earlier this year, he secured a victory over Gunnar Nelson at UFC London.
It`s currently unclear whether Muhammad will be cornering Peña this weekend, but the former welterweight title challenger continues to attract attention.
