Jack Della Maddalena Conquers Welterweight Championship in Epic Battle
Jack Della Maddalena emerged as the new welterweight champion after an intense five-round battle against Belal Muhammad, obtaining a unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 315 held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
Della Maddalena, hailing from Perth, Australia, demonstrated great striking prowess, neutralizing Muhammad’s pressure and outstriking him, with a score of 200-155. The contest left both fighters visibly affected, but Della Maddalena managed to land the more significant strikes and evaded his opponent’s takedown attempts.
The judges awarded scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in favor of Della Maddalena.
The title opportunity came at the precise moment for Della Maddalena. Originally scheduled to face Leon Edwards in March, the Australian was selected to contend for the title against Muhammad due to an injury that prevented Shavkat Rakhmonov from participating.
Both Muhammad and Della Maddalena came into the fight with extensive undefeated streaks, but it was Della Maddalena who extended his streak with an impressive performance in front of 19,786 spectators who witnessed a more exciting fight than expected.
Muhammad’s strategy, focused on striking, proved to be his downfall. He remained standing for the first two rounds and didn’t achieve his first takedown until the fourth round. By then, Della Maddalena had already established his dominance with his precise right hand and distance control.
The victory opens the possibility for lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to move up to welterweight and be Della Maddalena’s first opponent for the 170-pound title, with the hope of becoming a two-division champion. Makhachev announced he would make this move only if Muhammad, with whom he has trained, lost on Saturday.
