CM Punk shows his admiration for Belal Muhammad.
Punk, known in real life as Phil Brooks, understands the difficulties of competing in the UFC welterweight division. Despite facing defeats in his attempts to transition from wrestling to the Octagon in 2016 and 2018, Punk made a return to professional wrestling with All Elite Wrestling before rejoining the WWE.
The day after his appearance at WWE Summerslam in Cleveland, Punk took to Monday Night RAW to recognize Muhammad, who recently secured the UFC welterweight championship by defeating Leon Edwards.
“I just want to take a real quick minute to shout out, give some flowers to my good friend, my teammate, my brother Belal Muhammad,” Punk stated in the ring. “He won the UFC welterweight title. It’s been a busy week, I didn’t forget. Congratulations. I love seeing good things happen to good people. I love watching hard work pay off”
Muhammad responded to Punk on social media with a message expressing love and gratitude.
Two Potential Contenders Arise for Belal Muhammad’s First Title Defense
Although Muhammad has not yet scheduled his first title defense, he hinted at a possible comeback in November or December pending recovery from a nose injury.
The leading contenders for Muhammad’s inaugural defense include former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and undefeated fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov. Usman, coming off consecutive losses to Edwards, seeks an opportunity to reclaim his position in the title race subsequent to Muhammad’s triumph.
With an impeccable record of 18-0, Rakhmonov has also demonstrated his worthiness for a title shot.
Which matchup would you prefer to see Muhammad face in his inaugural welterweight title defense?
