Kevin Holland doesn’t think much of Belal Muhammad, and the feeling is mutual.
At UFC 316 media day on Wednesday, Holland was asked what he thought of Muhammad losing his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, to which Holland replied it was “amazing” to see.
It’s not just Della Maddalena’s performance that wowed Holland as he went on to criticize Muhammad’s fighting style and then suggested he’s not as skilled as his accomplishments suggest.
“I’ve never thought the world of Belal,” Holland said. “He’s a hard worker, he puts in the work, but I mean, camps boil down to who’s going to put in the most work and as long as you outwork during the camp, you can damn sure outwork him in the fight. That’s all he really has is work ethic.”
Muhammad responded to a clip of Holland’s comments on social media, writing, “It’s always the ones that’ll never touch gold that have the most to say. Doesn’t this bum lose every other fight he’s in?”
It’s always the ones that’ll never touch gold that have the most to say doesn’t This bum lose every other fight he’s in
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) June 4, 2025
Though Holland is actually coming off of a win over Gunnar Nelson in his most recent fight, Muhammad’s insult is not unfounded. Holland has earned a reputation as a fan favorite due to his frequent in-cage appearances, but has not won consecutive fights since 2023 and has strung together consecutive losses twice during that same span.
Another clip of Holland that made the rounds on social media saw him apparently question Muhammad’s championship bonafides, as he fell to Della Maddalena in his first scheduled title defense.
“Shout-out to anybody who’s successfully gotten a UFC belt, props to you,” Holland said. “But if you haven’t defended the belt, did you really get a f*cking belt? Isn’t that what you all said about Conor?”
This drew another response from Muhammad mocking Holland’s record.
If u fight every month and lose every month are you the most active fighter or the most active loser
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) June 4, 2025
“If you fight every month and you lose every month are you the most active fighter or the most active loser?” Muhammad wrote on social media.
Holland later put his own Twitter fingers in action as he issued a response to Muhammad, posting a screenshot of an apparent direct message conversation between them discussing a potential fight. Now, Holland wants to know if Muhammad is still interested.
“I waited a few years, but you still want smoke, you got the gun, ex-champ,” Holland wrote.
Holland is scheduled to compete this Saturday at UFC 316 when he takes on fellow welterweight veteran Vicente Luque.
