Patriot Brief
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Bizarre analogy: Belal Muhammad compared training with younger fighters to “Epstein Island,” sparking immediate backlash.
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Wrong message: The comment overshadowed his upcoming fight and drew criticism for being tone-deaf and inappropriate.
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Career context: Muhammad faces Ian Machado Garry in his first match since losing his title in May.
Belal Muhammad may be gearing up for a comeback fight with Ian Machado Garry, but his mouth just landed him in a different kind of spotlight. While discussing training with younger fighters, the 37-year-old former UFC champion bizarrely compared his gym environment to “Epstein Island without the sex.”
“My future’s bright, right? I’m training with young masters,” Muhammad said. “Ignacio Bahamondes is probably 28, and I think he’s one of the best strikers in the UFC.”
Seems innocent enough. Then he put his foot in his mouth.
Muhammad continued, “I got a 17-year-old now, Nacho’s younger brother, who’s a monster, right? It feels like the Epstein files without the, you know, the sex, right? I’m getting their powers through sparring and training, so it feels good.”
Uh, what?
WATCH:
WUT pic.twitter.com/A1fzeIw2Df
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 20, 2025
The fighter added, ““And I love training every day with these guys. I’m learning from these guys, and I’m growing so much from these guys. The energy they bring, it makes me feel younger and I’m still young in the sport. My body feels good every single day I wake up. I’m blessed to be where I am right now.”
I’m no expert, but, maybe you shouldn’t talk about your body feeling good and the Epstein files in the same sentence.
In a sport built on discipline, professionalism, and fan trust, dragging child sex trafficking into a casual analogy is never the move. It overshadowed his upcoming return, undercut the point he was trying to make, and left fans stunned for all the wrong reasons. Fighters talk trash, but this crossed the line from edgy to outright tone-deaf.