Jack Della Maddalena Conquers Welterweight Championship in Epic Battle
On a night filled with excitement at UFC 315, Jack Della Maddalena proved his worth by defeating Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision, thus securing the welterweight title. The fight, which extended over five intense rounds at the Bell Centre in Montreal, kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Two judges scored the fight 48-47, while the third awarded a score of 49-46 in favor of Della Maddalena.
Della Maddalena, hailing from Perth, Australia, showcased impressive striking precision, neutralizing Muhammad’s pressure and outstriking him, with a difference of 200-155 in strikes. Despite physical fatigue, Della Maddalena landed the more significant strikes and frustrated Muhammad’s takedown attempts, successfully defending six of his nine attempts.
Going in against someone like Belal, with that kind of pressure in the wrestling, I knew I had to be smart and couldn’t spend too much time on the mat.
Jack Della Maddalena
The title opportunity came at the perfect time for Della Maddalena. Originally scheduled to face Leon Edwards in March, he was called upon to fight for the title against Muhammad due to Shavkat Rakhmonov’s injury. Della Maddalena, who was also dealing with an injury that kept him out of action for over a year, showed no signs of inactivity, connecting 55% of his significant strikes.
Both Muhammad and Della Maddalena came into the fight with double-digit undefeated streaks, but it was Della Maddalena who extended his streak with a brilliant performance in front of 19,786 spectators.
Muhammad’s strategy, focused almost exclusively on striking, proved to be his undoing. He didn’t manage a takedown until the fourth round; by then, Della Maddalena had already established his dominance with his precise right hand and distance control.
The first round was fought entirely in striking, with Della Maddalena finding his target with his right hand and briefly shaking Muhammad with a head kick. However, Muhammad’s pressure allowed him to connect his own punches.
In the second round, Della Maddalena maintained control of the center of the octagon and connected a right hand. Muhammad attempted a takedown, but the Australian defended well, setting the tone for the rest of the fight.
Without the threat of a takedown, Della Maddalena opted for quality over quantity in the third round, avoiding being outworked by an aggressive Muhammad.
Muhammad intensified the pressure in the fourth round, but Della Maddalena responded with counterattacks and combinations, punishing his opponent for his impetus and defending takedown attempts. Muhammad continued to press, combining punches with “dirty boxing”.
Finally, Muhammad secured a takedown in the final round and had the opportunity to take control of the fight. However, Della Maddalena quickly got back to his feet, and his impressive striking wobbled Muhammad. Despite this, the challenger refused to yield and took Della Maddalena down again. The contender got back to his feet once more, and both fighters went at it until the end of the match.
I looked at the clock and saw that there were 30 seconds left. I thought I was winning, but I wanted to keep pressing and get him out of there. I was looking for a late finish, but he’s a tough guy. He’s not easy to knock out.
Jack Della Maddalena
Victory opens the door for lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to move up to welterweight and challenge Della Maddalena for the 170-pound gold, hoping to become a two-division champion. Makhachev was scheduled to defend his title against Ilia Topuria at UFC 317 next month, but has expressed interest in competing for a championship in another weight class. It seems likely that he will get his wish later this year.
Della Maddalena embraced the opportunity, seeing it as a chance to vindicate his compatriot Alexander Volkanovski, who lost two title fights against Makhachev in 2023.
I think it’s a beautiful challenge. He’s number 1 pound for pound. I’m going to get him back for Volk.
Jack Della Maddalena
