UFC welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena is determined to end Belal Muhammad’s reign as champion quickly.
Although there was no initial animosity between Jack Della Maddalena and Belal Muhammad when their UFC 315 title fight was announced, tensions have risen recently.
Muhammad is set to defend his UFC welterweight title against Maddalena in the main event of UFC 315 next month in Montreal. This fight marks his return to the Octagon after withdrawing from UFC 310 due to an injury. He was originally scheduled to face Shavkat Rakhmonov in his first title defense.
For Maddalena, this title shot is a significant step up, especially since his last victory was over a year ago against former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 299. Now, the Australian fighter has the opportunity to win UFC gold and cut short Muhammad`s time as champion.
As UFC 315 approaches, the rivalry between Maddalena and Muhammad is intensifying. After Maddalena predicted a first-round finish against Muhammad, Muhammad responded on social media, escalating their pre-fight conflict.
Muhammad, who won the belt from Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last July, is known for his well-rounded style but often fights to decision. Maddalena is not impressed with Muhammad`s fighting style, describing it as boring and drawing a parallel to the style of Georges St-Pierre.
In a recent interview with Fox Sports Australia, Maddalena further fueled the rivalry with Muhammad.
“There’s no doubt he has a boring fight style,” Maddalena stated about Muhammad. “He’s effective at controlling opponents and securing wins, and credit to him for that. Georges St-Pierre also received criticism for having a boring style back in the day, simply because he was superior to his opponents in all aspects. He could control strikers on the ground and out-strike grapplers, and so on.”
“So, you have to give him credit. I definitely think his style is boring, but winning is clearly his top priority, and fair play to him. However, I believe I can defeat him. I’m a more exciting fighter, and I think I can not only win the world title but win it with a dominant finish and style points for sure.”
Maddalena`s UFC career has been marked by several impressive, stylish victories, including his recent fight against Burns. The Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus has secured finishes against opponents like Pete Rodriguez, Randy Brown, and Ramazan Emeev in his UFC run.
Muhammad’s last finish was against Sean Brady at UFC 280, where he won by TKO. His more recent wins against Edwards, Burns, and Vicente Luque were all by decision.
Maddalena caused some controversy before UFC 315 when an Australian restaurant announced a fundraiser to support his team`s travel expenses. However, recent reports from MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin clarified that Maddalena was hosting the fundraiser for a different cause and was surprised by the restaurant`s social media posts.
Currently, Maddalena and his team are not facing financial difficulties before UFC 315, and his full team is expected to be present for his welterweight title fight. If he wins, he will join Sean O’Malley and Jamahal Hill as DWCS graduates who have become UFC champions.
Muhammad has called Maddalena’s style ‘basic’ leading up to UFC 315, pointing to Maddalena`s past struggles in grappling exchanges. However, Maddalena is expected to pose a significant striking threat to Muhammad in their upcoming title fight.
Maddalena and Muhammad are set to deliver an exciting fight at UFC 315. Recent events suggest that we can anticipate a high-energy clash in Montreal.
Rupert Hartwell 
Benedict Kingsley