Belal is old, he's slow, he's not very athletic, he doesn't have power and he's not submitting anyone. People love to hate on him because he's all those things, but what is always left out is how tough he is, how good his cardio is and how hard he works. He will never razzle dazzle but he will grind and thats exactly what he needs to do here. He won't be faster or more powerful or so he needs to slow the pace and get Gabriel to fight his fight. The knock on Gabriel in the past has been his cardio and I certainly think it gets tested here. Belal is boring, but he's boring because he sticks to a wrestle heavy gameplan where he doesn't take unnecessary risks and thats exactly how I think he wins this fight. He may not win the first round, but he will continue to pressure forward and takeover. The slight lean here is Belal but I do worry that at 18 years old the speed difference will be way too much and we see him KO'd for only the second time in his career.

Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad is a non stop wrestler who averages a little more than 2 takedowns per fight and while that seems like a low number, its a testament to how good his control is. He has solid fight IQ and knows when he should wrestle and when he should strike. He has a reputation for being a boring fighter, but the reality is that he comes forward, puts on pressure and sticks to a gameplan. He has decent striking as well and while it may not win him fights at the highest level, it did contribute to his rise to the title. He is coming off the decision loss to Ian Garry where he couldn't handle the speed or range.

Gabriel Bonfim

Gabriel Bonfim is a very solid striker with high level boxing credentials as well solid BJJ. He is a well rounded guy who has only been to 1 decision in 20 fights. He looks to strike early and then transition to wrestling if he doesn't feel a finish coming. When he gets it to the ground he is methodical with his control and works to positions first then submissions. He is coming off the second round KO win over Randy Brown