UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has asked the promotion to restore the Palestinian flag to his fighter profile, referencing Dana White’s stance on “free speech”.
Muhammad was born in the US but to Palestinian parents, and he has been seen carrying the Palestinian flag numerous times throughout his UFC career.
In 2022, the UFC imposed a flag ban, but White – the promotion’s president – overturned that ruling one year later. It is believed that the ban was related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
In any case, fans noticed this week that Muhammad, who won the welterweight title in July, has no flag on his fighter profile on ufc.com, leading the champion to call out White.
“So, people keep asking me, ‘Where’s your flag?’” Muhammad, 36, said in a video on social media. “I started getting multiple messages [about] it, and I was just assuming it was a mistake, but it’s still not addressed.
“So, I’ll address it and hope that Dana addresses it as well, fixes it – because Dana said he’s all about free speech, he’s all about people supporting who they wanna support, and not muting or silencing anybody.
“So, I’m hoping that the UFC fixes this issue and puts my flag next to my name, so the people that I represent, the people that I fight for, and the people that I train for will see their flag next to their champion’s name.”
Many UFC fans have speculated that the absence of the flag relates to Palestine’s complicated history with Israel. The nations have been locked in fresh conflict since late 2023, and US President Donald Trump this week issued a “last warning” to Hamas – a Palestinian militant group – to release Israeli hostages who have been held in Gaza.
The Independent has contacted the UFC for comment.
Muhammad is next scheduled to fight in May, defending his title against Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena in the main event of UFC 315 in Canada.
