“Coming in there against someone like Belal with that sort of pressure wrestling, I knew I had to be smart,” Jack Della Maddalena said after his breakout performance at UFC 315. And smart he was. Just like Rolando Romero shocked the boxing world at Fatal Fury against Ryan Garcia, Della Maddalena rose to the occasion when it mattered most. On Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, the Australian striker put on a career-defining display, battering the reigning champion Belal Muhammad and capturing the UFC welterweight title in dominant fashion. The upset not only cemented his place among the sport’s elite but also added another chapter to Australia’s growing legacy in mixed martial arts.
But the ripple effects of JDM’s win extend far beyond just the belt. Islam Makhachev, Muhammad’s friend and training partner, had previously eyed a move to welterweight—but only if Muhammad wasn’t holding the belt. With that obstacle now removed, the reigning lightweight champion wasted no time making his intentions clear. Just hours after the fight, Makhachev took to X and declared, “Time to become a double champion.”
However, before stepping into the Octagon against the surging 18-2-0 Jack Della Maddalena, Belal Muhammad was confident in his striking. “For myself, especially these last couple of fights, I’ve been using my hands a lot,” he told MMA Fighting. “I’ve been using the Canelo [Alvarez] boxing. I want to put it to the test. I want to put it to the test and have that moment where I go that’s why I’m the best boxer in the UFC. That’s why I’m the best boxer in the welterweight division.” But certainly that strategy didn’t quite pay off. The 28-year-old Australian landed 200 out of his 364 punches thrown, while Belal landed only 155 out of his 349 thrown. As a result, now, Khabib’s long-time coach Javier Mendez is weighing in on the fight.
Speaking with Submission Radio just hours after the fight, Mendez offered his take on what went wrong. When asked whether an earlier wrestling approach could have disrupted Della Maddalena’s rhythm, Mendez agreed without hesitation. “100% 100%,” he said. “If you don’t let a person get in his rhythm, it’s really hard to get him out of that rhythm once you let him in it. And uh I think he let Jack get in his rhythm way too far. And it was just too late.”
Credits: IMAGO
Even though Mendez acknowledged that Belal Muhammad was having some success on the feet, but against a striker as sharp as Maddalena, being just a step behind can make all the difference. “And the problem I feel from watching it is Belal was being successful with the standup himself. So, it wasn’t like he wasn’t landing any shots. He was landing good shots himself. But he was just a little bit behind, on the standing exchanges,” he added. And that feels like a very accurate analysis of the fight, given the stats.
Interestingly, Muhammad came into the bout with full faith in his striking. Originally scheduled to fight the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov, the narrative shifted when Rakhmonov withdrew due to injury. Ultimately, oddsmakers and fans quickly leaned toward Belal Muhammad, especially after he doubled down on his confidence. “He’s not going to outlast me. He’s not going to outwork me. He’s not going to outmuscle me. He’s not going to outgrapple me,” Muhammad declared before the fight.
But post-fight, the story was different. So, with the UD loss in the books, let’s see what Jack Della Maddalena really thought of those ‘Canelo-like’ punches Belal promised to deliver.
Belal Muhammad’s ‘Canelo Hands’? JDM says, not even close
From suffering a knockout loss in his pro debut to standing atop one of the UFC’s most competitive divisions, Maddalena’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable. And in the aftermath of his biggest career win, he took a moment to weigh in on a lingering narrative surrounding Muhammad’s boxing skills.
Throughout the bout, Belal Muhammad leaned heavily into his stand-up game, hoping to put his ‘Canelo-like’ hands on display. But Della Maddalena was sharper and quicker, like always. As a result, it didn’t take long for the skill gap to show. Fast forward to over five rounds, and the Aussie made it clear who the superior striker was.
MMA: UFC 315 – Muhammad v Della Maddalena May 10, 2025 Montreal, Quebec, CANADA Belal Muhammad red gloves fights Jack Della Maddalena blue gloves during UFC 315 at Bell Centre. Montreal Bell Centre Quebec CANADA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xEricxBoltex 20250510_jhp_bb5_0333
Asked directly after the fight whether Belal Muhammad’s hands lived up to the hype, Maddalena kept it real in an interview with the Kariouz Bros YouTube channel: “No, he didn’t. Canelo is the man, but he didn’t. Props to him, he said he would stand in there. I didn’t think he would, but he did.” The respect was there, but so was the honesty. The 36-year-old showed grit, but the Canelo comparison didn’t hold up under the bright lights.
Now, with the welterweight belt wrapped around his waist, Della Maddalena may have a date with destiny in the form of lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev. A move up in weight for Makhachev would draw massive attention. But beating a Dagestani tactician might be a far greater challenge than what Maddalena faced on Saturday night. So, did you see this result coming? And who should Belal Muhammad face next on his path to redemption?
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