Della Maddalena Eyes Welterweight Gold at UFC 315

Montreal, Canada — Jack Della Maddalena is set to challenge Belal Muhammad for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 315 on May 10. Della Maddalena, a 28-year-old fighter from Australia, has quickly established himself in the sport, needing only seven fights to reach title contention.

Della Maddalena first caught the UFC’s attention on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2021, where he won a decisive victory over Ange Loosa. Since joining the UFC, he has built a 17-fight unbeaten streak that includes seven wins, five by stoppage. This impressive record has made him a formidable contender in the welterweight division.

In preparation for UFC 315, Della Maddalena has been training hard, focusing on both his striking and grappling skills. Recently, he showcased his grappling prowess by submitting fellow Australian grappling star Craig Jones in a training video. “I think it’s going to be a very close fight,” said Gilbert Burns, a former title challenger, about Della Maddalena’s chances against Muhammad. “JDM is a monster, too. He hits very hard.”

The match against Muhammad will mark Della Maddalena’s first opportunity at UFC gold. Muhammad, the current champion, successfully defended his title against Leon Edwards at UFC 305, where he showcased his impressive grappling skills and significant cardio. There were early expectations that Muhammad’s first defense would be against Shavkat Rakhmonov, but injuries led to Della Maddalena stepping in instead.

“It’s time to take that title back to Australia,” Della Maddalena stated ahead of the fight. Many fans are eager to see how he fares against Muhammad, who is riding a 10-fight win streak and has only one loss since 2016.

UFC 315 is highly anticipated, as it will also feature a co-main event matchup between Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot for the women’s flyweight title. With Della Maddalena’s standout performance against Gilbert Burns at UFC 299 still fresh in the memory, many are looking forward to his clash with Muhammad as the highlight of the event.