Belal Muhammad’s title loss at UFC 315 has brought to light a striking statistic, leaving Jon Jones as the only remaining American champion in the promotion.
At UFC 315 on Saturday, Belal Muhammad`s relatively short tenure as UFC welterweight champion concluded after a hard-fought five-round bout against Jack Della Maddalena.
Muhammad’s performance faced widespread criticism, particularly for his perceived lack of takedown attempts. Adding to his difficult night, UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev openly mocked his defeat.
Further compounding the challenges for `Remember The Name`, UFC president Dana White disclosed the significant injuries Muhammad sustained during the fight, including a broken nose, a broken orbital bone, and a severe lip laceration.
Jon Jones is Now the Sole American UFC Champion
For some time now, American fighters have seen a decline in their dominance within the premier promotion, a contrast to earlier eras when they held the majority of titles.
Following Muhammad’s defeat at UFC 315, heavyweight champion Jon Jones is now the only currently reigning American champion in the UFC.
Furthermore, a striking comparison highlights the shift: when UFC rankings were first introduced in 2013, there were 28 American men ranked in the top five of their divisions and five American champions. Today, those numbers have dropped significantly to only 13 American fighters in the top five and just one champion.
America`s next opportunity for another champion comes on June 7th at UFC 316, where Sean O’Malley will attempt to regain his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili.
Tom Aspinall Hints Title Unification News is Imminent
Currently, Jon ‘Bones’ Jones faces no immediate threat to his UFC heavyweight title, although he continues to postpone a potential title unification bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall.
However, Aspinall recently indicated that an announcement about a potential fight with Jones is expected soon. He has also stated his willingness to face a different opponent if Jones remains inactive for much longer.
Jones` sustained dominance across multiple UFC eras is the primary reason he is widely considered by many to be the greatest fighter of all time.
Rupert Hartwell