ABU DHABI – Belal Muhammad beat Takashi Sato with a third-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi.
Take a look inside the fight with Muhammad, who won by submission for the first time in his career.
Result: Belal Muhammad def. Takashi Sato via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:55
Updated records: Muhammad (16-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), Sato (15-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Key stat: Muhammad outlanded Sato 78-34 in the standup game and also landed a pair of takedowns before his submission in the third.
Muhammad on the fight’s key moment
“We saw a submission. I have an all-around game. I can knock you out, tap you out or decision you. I saw holes in his game and I felt like the ground was the hole in his game. I knew if I got there, I was going to be able to get the finish.”
Muhammad on fighting for a friendly fanbase
“I knew I had to go out there and put on a great show for the Middle East. This is my home crowd. The love and support I’ve been getting this week has been great. I was looking for a finish and I’m glad I got it.”
Muhammad on what he wants next
“Li Jingliang just came off a big win last week. He beat (Elizeu Zaleski) dos Santos. He’s a huge household name in Asia, and I want to take his name. I think that would be a great fight, a great fight for the fans, and I feel like we could put on a grerat show. We match up great. We both can stand and bang, we both have an all-around game … that could be a five-rounder for that. I’m down for that.”
To hear more from Muhammad, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
