Kevin Holland and Belal Muhammad clearly have little regard for one another, and the sentiment appears mutual.
During UFC 316 media day, Holland was questioned about Belal Muhammad`s recent defeat to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, which cost Muhammad his welterweight championship. Holland cheerfully stated it was “amazing” to witness.
Beyond just praising Della Maddalena`s performance, Holland went on to critique Muhammad`s fighting approach and suggested that his skills might not live up to his resume.
Holland commented, “I’ve never thought the world of Belal. He’s a hard worker, he puts in the work, but I mean, camps boil down to who’s going to put in the most work and as long as you outwork during the camp, you can damn sure outwork him in the fight. That’s all he really has is work ethic.”
Muhammad reacted to a circulating video clip of Holland`s remarks on social media, writing, “It’s always the ones that’ll never touch gold that have the most to say. Doesn’t this bum lose every other fight he’s in?”
While Holland did secure a victory over Gunnar Nelson in his latest bout, Muhammad`s jab regarding his inconsistent fight history isn`t entirely without basis. Holland is popular for taking fights frequently, but he hasn`t achieved consecutive wins since 2023 and has suffered back-to-back losses twice within that timeframe.
Another moment from Holland that gained traction online involved him appearing to question the validity of Muhammad`s brief reign as champion, especially after falling to Della Maddalena in his first scheduled title defense.
“Shout-out to anybody who’s successfully gotten a UFC belt, props to you,” Holland said. “But if you haven’t defended the belt, did you really get a f*cking belt? Isn’t that what you all said about Conor?”
This elicited another social media response from Muhammad, who mocked Holland`s pattern of frequent fights and losses.
Muhammad posted, “If you fight every month and you lose every month are you the most active fighter or the most active loser?”
Holland subsequently used his own social media platform, posting a screenshot of what seemed to be a direct message exchange between the two fighters discussing a potential matchup. Holland now asked if Muhammad was still interested in fighting him.
Holland wrote, “I waited a few years, but you still want smoke, you got the gun, ex-champ.”
Holland is set to compete this Saturday at UFC 316 against fellow welterweight veteran Vicente Luque.
