Mustafa Ali recently did an interview with Scott Fishman from TVInsider and during it, he talked about the importance of winning the United States Title.
He’s been feuding with current belt holder Matt Riddle on television as of late and they will face-off for the title on Monday’s Raw.
“It means more to me than it would to a lot of people. My name is Mustafa Ali. Yes, I’m an American. But I feel people don’t look at me as an American. When I go to the grocery store with my wife she wears a hijab scarf over her head, and I notice the glares she gets. Pre-pandemic when we went out to dinner she would get the same looks. I’m always conscious that it doesn’t feel like home. Why do I feel like a visitor? I was born and raised here. I do love this country and what it can be. Growing up [in Chicago], I didn’t have someone that looked like me that represented as being American. I think it would be wild for a kid named Mohammed or Saʽid or a girl named Sara watching Raw seeing a guy named Mustafa Ali holding the United States championship.”