Though they have been mixed martial arts fierce rivals for years, Belal Muhammad and Khamzat Chimaev’s shared love for Palestine has transformed their relationship to become close friends.
Muhammad is a Palestinian-American Muslim who has always been vocal in his support for the nation.
After the eruption of the October 7 Israeli war on Gaza, Chimaev, and other influential figures in the MMA community, publicly backed Palestine, fostering the bond that grew into friendship with Muhammad, Sports Keeda reported.
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“For me, it was obviously huge that he was posting about Palestine. That’s my brother now,” Muhammad said in a recent interview with MMA Junkie.
“Like, if you’re supporting my people, we’re one. It’s all about being a Muslim and when one Muslim’s in pain, one Muslim’s hurting, you should be feeling the same pain, feeling the same hurt. I feel like we’ve got connected off of that.”
Before UFC 294 in October, Muhammad and Chimaev posted pictures on Instagram together, holding a Palestinian flag.
At least 18,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, 70% of whom are women and children.
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