The Ultimate Fighting Championship is a martial arts competition in which contestants battle using a combination of boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu. Started in 1994, the UFC has grown into an international sport with competitors coming from America, Brazil, Australia, China, Africa, and including recently, the Palestinian territories.
Most estimates put the UFC as a 12-billion-dollar business. It is a very successful sporting event.
Unfortunately, the UFC has been playing with fire, or more precisely, jihad.
In their quest for outstanding fighters, the UFC are recruiting from places such as Dagestan. In a PBS News Hour piece entitled, “Why are so many from this Russian republic fighting for ISIS?,” we learn that “as many as 5,000 Dagestanis have left to fight for the Islamic State.”
This has consequences. During UFC 229, the usually dignified Khabib Nurmagomedov jumped into the crowd and started a riot. Members of Khabib’s corner jumped into the Octagon to assault his opponent.
That was just the first caress.
A top 5 Welterweight contender, Belal Muhammad, was born in Chicago, Illinois, but identifies as Palestinian. It is his gimmick. He fights under the Palestinian flag. He wears the kufiyah to weigh-ins. He talks about his “people,” and calls out “Allahu akbar” inside the Octagon, the UFC’s stage. Moreover, he has said he will take any championship belt he may win to Gaza.
Outside of the Octagon, Belal shows his affinity with Hamas in his social media posts that contain Hamas talking points: propaganda about stolen land and genocide. At the same time, on his X/Twitter page, he promotes things such as Baitumaal, which is one of the like-minded organizations on the list of the international insurgency known as the Muslim Brotherhood.
Support for Baitumaal on social media is just one of the many warning signals Belal Muhammad gives off.
Beyond social media, his whole family shares Belal’s feelings on “Palestine.” His sister is an official in the American Muslims for Palestine, formally known as the Islamic Association for Palestine, a Hamas front.
“Judge Finds Sufficient Evidence Linking American Muslims for Palestine Group to Hamas Supporters,” by Abha Shankar, Algemeiner, May 20, 2022:
A Federal judge in Chicago on Tuesday allowed a lawsuit to proceed, which claims that the anti-Israel group American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is really a continuation of a defunct cog in a Hamas-support network.
In 2004, Joyce and Stanley Boim were awarded $156 million in damages from the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP) and the American Muslim Society (AMS) for providing material support to Hamas.
The Boims’ 17-year-old-son David was killed in a 1996 Hamas terrorist attack.
But the defendant organizations shut themselves down before paying, citing “the burden of the Boim Judgment and associated litigation costs.
The Boims believe that was part of a shell game, with AMP and its financial arm — Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Foundation (AJP) — emerging and picking up where IAP and AMS left off. If true, the $156 million judgment should apply to them.
In 2012, the AMP, along with the Bridgeview Mosque, held a celebration for Muhammad Salah, a Hamas member who was indicted for providing resources to that organization. Additionally, the AMP works closely with the Bridgeview Mosque, whose imam is an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation trial. It is quite possible that Belal Muhammad worships at the Bridgeview Mosque.
Both Belal and his sister have promoted West Bank Apparel, where you can buy Palestinian jewelry in the shape of Israel. A percentage of West Bank Apparel’s proceeds go to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, and Islamic Relief, two pro Hamas organizations.
And Saturday night at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, the crowd was chanting, “Free Palestine.”
The UFC Lightweight Champion, and Dagestan native Islam Makhachev voiced his support for Palestine in the Octagon.
The dominant Middleweight contender, and Chechen by birth, Khamzat Chimaev gave a long speech in Russian, saying he wanted to take a rifle and fight for Allah in Palestine.
It is ironic that although the UFC has banned Nazis, they are now, perhaps, the most anti-Semitic sports league in America.
Pray Hard says
Well, look who runs it.
mgoldberg says
Ok, as a deep admirer of the State of Israel, a Jew and also someone who has watched the UFC, MMA, over my all too many years, I would address the issues somewhat differently. First, the Khabid Nurmagomedov was not the guilty one who caused a riot in that bit jumping out of the cage after his victory over Connor McGregor- it was McGregor and specifically his teammate Dylan Danis’s fault. Nurmagomedov later apologized for losing it and jumping out of the ring. But that does happen a bit in that world of mma fighters, who’s adrenaline and long months of training are laced with media hype between fighters and their camps. This is about selling bouts and increasing interest, and it does at times get out of hand. So that’s a none issue here. In terms of these muslim fighters being one sided- yes, and that’s how they’re raised in their muslim cultures. And if they said differently they’d be highly criticized indeed by their countrymen. So, when I hear of Belal Mohammed’s affection for Gaza, I am not surprised. The ignorance of our western nations that has been forced into believing in the socialist idea of oppressors and oppressed with the muslim world seen as oppressed?!?, by the west, and we selling these notions across the board in our own lands, it becomes nothing of a surprise when we get the ignorant biase coming out of muslim fighters.
I respect all those fighters for what they endure and put into their careers. That is how I view them. Political Islam is how they are raised and Islam never teaches that it was guilty of anything except being held down by infidels and nations who prevent their ascendency. There are more and more fighters coming out of Africa, and some of those Christian fighters might have other viewpoints about Islam too, but most fighters keep that too themselves. They mostly hold up the flags of their nations but nothing beyond that. One more point. When Samuel Paty was murdered in france, I think it was K Nurmagomedov who opened his mouth to opine something to the effect that he supported the muslims who were demonstrating against the the French for allowing the insults by Paty or something to that effect. Since then, I’ve not seen anything political out of him and he comports himself well as a retired champion. I do not expect muslim fighters to show anything of critical understanding of Islam and such non nations like Gaza where homcidism was committed. I do expect others to raise the issues and hopefully we will see some pushback against some of that in the near future in the mma community but It’s not but a community that reveres it’s champions who make for good battles and competitions. The Dagestani’s have some excellent sources for their mma, and their recent rise to stardom was expected.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Not a fan of this sport, although I have heard about it now & then. Had no idea that it had spread outside the US, much less to Dagestan or “Palestine”. Although it’s a useful skill to have for day to day life, as society becomes much more dangerous, thanks to intersectional politics: had I been younger, I might have started prepping for it
Also, I thought that Russia had maxed out on the muslims from Dagestan, Chechnya, Tatarstan and other places from where they send them to the Ukraine frontlines. How are so many Dagestanis coming here?
mgoldberg says
There are others who’s words are much much more sound in the UFC. Tim Kennedy was a middlewt diviision contender, a very good fighter who after retireing in 2016 did some commnentating for the UFC but found a larger audience as an ex special forces soldier. I watched friday on fox with him reporting at the border with Gaza and in Eqypt, providing commentary on the horrors of the slaughters on those border towns next too Gaza and the peace festival there. He will I’m sure be on the Joe Rogan program to offer up his opinions on the issues there, and Rogans show has a large world wide audience. Those Dagestani fighters will have nothing to offer up for any show like Rogans so there is some light amongst that crowd that will come out, especially when all those Hamas recordings come out of what they did.
ME Infidel says
I’m a casual fan of the UFC and sent a copy of “Obsession” to Dana White a dozen or so years ago when he was expanding his events into the U.A.E. and elsewhere. He needed to be careful who he got into business with I warned. I never heard back, of course, but why would he respond even if he did watch it? Money trumps all else for most people.
Larry Estavan says
Thank you for that.
As I am sure you will agree, most people have difficuly comprehending the danger of Islam.
Many people have commented on Dana White fooling around with dangerous Muslims like Kadyrov. –
https://twitter.com/ZidanSports/status/1716195722075443387
He is playing with fire.