Australian fighter Jack Della Maddalena has defeated Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision to become the new UFC Welterweight champion at UFC 315. The decisive win came after Della Maddalena outstruck the former champion, with a crucial moment in the final round resulting in Muhammad suffering a cut from a knee strike during a scramble.
Della Maddalena, who hails from Perth and possesses a strong boxing background, successfully thwarted numerous takedown attempts from the grappling-focused Muhammad. By keeping the majority of the fight standing, Della Maddalena secured his 18th consecutive professional victory and handed Muhammad his first loss in six years.
Commenting on the fight, Della Maddalena stated, “He brings the pressure. I knew I had to be sharp on my feet… I wanted to take him out of there. I was gunning for a finish but Belal is a tough dude.”
Following his title win, the 28-year-old expressed his ambition to challenge the lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev. Makhachev previously defeated Australian standout Alexander Volkanovski.
“I think it`s a beautiful challenge. He`s the pound-for-pound No 1. I want to get him back for Volk,” Della Maddalena said regarding a potential matchup with Makhachev.
In the co-main event of UFC 315, Kyrgyzstan`s Valentina Shevchenko successfully defended her Women`s Flyweight Championship against Manon Fiorot. Shevchenko secured a unanimous decision victory over Fiorot, who suffered her first professional defeat after twelve straight wins.
Shevchenko opened the fight strongly, landing right hooks that caused a nosebleed for Fiorot in the first round. However, the French challenger rallied, pinning Shevchenko against the cage and utilizing clinch knees in the subsequent rounds.
Despite Fiorot`s efforts, Shevchenko regained control, escaping a body lock and achieving a knockdown in the fourth round. She landed impactful strikes, including a spinning backfist and a superwoman punch, in the fifth round. The judges unanimously scored the contest 48-47 in favor of Valentina Shevchenko.
Marcus Bellamy