CM Punk gives shout-out to UFC champ Belal Muhammad during WWE Raw

Belal Muhammad received a notable shout-out from former teammate CM Punk during WWE Raw at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena on Monday night. CM Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, congratulated Muhammad on his recent victory at UFC 304, where he claimed the welterweight title by defeating Leon Edwards.

"I just want to take a real quick minute to shout-out, give some flowers to my good friend, my teammate, my brother, Belal Muhammad," Punk addressed the crowd. "He won the UFC welterweight title. It’s been a busy week, I didn’t forget. Congratulations. I love seeing good things happen to good people. I love watching hard work pay off."

Muhammad responded to the praise by posting, “Love you my brother,” on social media. Both athletes hail from Chicago and previously trained together at Roufusport MMA Academy in Milwaukee, under Duke Roufus. This gym is also known for producing former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and his brother Sergio, a former Bellator champion.

CM Punk, 45, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt and had a brief stint in mixed martial arts. He competed twice in the UFC, favoring a grappling style. Punk lost his debut to Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in 2016 and his second fight to Mike Jackson in 2018, which was later changed to a no-contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana.

Punk has joined a select group of athletes who have competed in both UFC and WWE, including Brock Lesnar, Ken Shamrock, and Dan Severn. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler have also joined this exclusive group in recent years.