Belal Muhammad Says It's An Honor To Wrestle Ben Askren At RAF Event

Belal Muhammad was just as shocked as everyone else when he heard Ben Askren was returning to the mats ... and now the UFC star is walking TMZ Sports through how the deal went down!

"[Real American Freestyle] hit me up, and they asked me if I was down again. It's close to Chicago in Milwaukee, and then they brought up his name, and I was like, 'Bro, is he healthy enough?' I care about him. I've seen his story," the 37-year-old MMA fighter told us.

"When they said, 'Yeah [he's healthy],' I said, 'Bro, it'd be an honor.' He's a legend. His story is legendary. To be a part of that, and to be his homecoming match, or even his end match, his last one, it's gonna be cool. I've trained with him. I've talked to him. He's a good guy, cool guy."

If you missed it, Belal and Ben are wrestling at RAF 11 on July 18 ... astounding when you consider Askren nearly died after battling pneumonia.

He ultimately required a double lung transplant on June 30, 2025 ... and 54 weeks later, he's competing against one of the best combat sports athletes in the world.

Even his opponent freely admits that's pretty damn amazing.

"I think his story is gonna motivate the next generation, and even people who think they can't come back from anything. It's gonna be huge."

Of course, Askren's got just about as good a wrestling pedigree as a competitor could have -- he's a 2x NCAA champion (among a long list of other accolades -- but does he still have it after everything his body has been through?

Now, first things first for Remember The Name.

Belal's headlining UFC Fight Night on Saturday against 28-year-old Gabriel Bonfim, an up-and-coming welterweight.