Belal Muhammad Day declared in UFC champion’s hometown of Chicago

Belal Muhammad will forever be remembered by the city he calls home.

The recently crowned UFC welterweight champion was honored by the city of Chicago, where the fighter was born and raised, at a ceremony on Friday at Harold Washington Library Center. Mayor Brandon Johnson proudly declared Sept. 20 to be Belal Muhammad Day, two months after “Remember The Name” defeated Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 304 to earn his world title.

Muhammad shared a friend’s video of the ceremony on his Instagram Stories. Watch the footage below (re-uploaded by Championship Rounds).

“We do hereby proclaim Sept. 20, 2024, Belal Muhammad Day,” Johnson said.

Muhammad also uploaded a photos from the occasion to his social media.

It’s been a long road to prominence for the 36-year-old Muhammad, who had to go on a 10-fight unbeaten streak before earning his shot at UFC gold. Muhammad scored notable wins over top-10 contenders, including Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, Vicente Luque, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, and Demian Maia before finally being granted a crack at Edwards this past July.

The new champion is yet to book his first title defense, though he has no shortage of challengers. Undefeated Kazakh fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov and former champion Kamaru Usman have made their case to be chosen for the opportunity, while others like Brady, Jack Della Maddalena, and Ian Machado Garry are also jockeying for position in the intriguing welterweight division.