"Pray for Ian Garry" - Fans fear for Belal Muhammad's rival as former champion highlights how baby daughter has provided greater motivation

Belal Muhammad's comments about his newborn child providing him with additional drive for his upcoming fight sparked a mixed reaction from the MMA fans worldwide. While some extended their support, others took aim at the former welterweight kingpin.

Muhammad is set to make his octagon return against top contender Ian Machado Garry in the co-main event of UFC Qatar on Nov. 22 at ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar. Notably, during a recent appearance on the No Scripts podcast, Muhammad opened up about the birth of his daughter, stating that his determination is stronger than ever. Championship Rounds shared his remarks on X, which stated:

''It's life changing. Before, my happy place was going to the gym. Now I know what I'm going to the gym for. Before it was just to prove everybody wrong and to win. Now I'm fighting for someone. I'm fighting for her future.''

Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below:

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Fans soon rushed to the comments section to share their reactions.

One fan wrote:

''Pray for Ian Garry I dont think he makes it out of this bout alive hes lucky its only three rounds''

Another stated:

''Belal was one win away from being the 3rd greatest WW goat''

Other fans wrote:

''Having a kid really does change your mentality. Excited for his fight against Ian Garry'' ''Big fan of seeing fighters develop and grow as adults. Maybe it doesn’t improve them in the cage but being a well rounded human does matter when we follow these guys over decades sometimes.''

Check out more reactions below:

Fan reactions [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

In his last MMA appearance at UFC 315, Muhammad failed to defend his 170-pound throne, suffering a unanimous decision loss to Jack Della Maddalena.

---

Belal Muhammad slams ex-UFC champion

Belal Muhammad reportedly engaged in a physical altercation with former champion Kamaru Usman during a podcast episode earlier this year.

In the aforementioned conversation, Muhammad targeted Usman with harsh words, hinting at a potential matchup between them:

''Kamaru Usman was the fight that made the most sense. We had a podcast where I slapped him. You’d want to get your get back. He knows that it’s just a bad matchup for him. As a man, for somebody to slap you and you to say no, and for you to not post it or talk about it, it just shows what type of person you are. He’s a coward''

Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena