Jack Della Maddalena is the UFC’s new welterweight champion after he got the better of Belal Muhammad over five rounds tonight in the main event of UFC 315.
Round One
The main event welterweight title fight is underway in Montreal!
Straight right from Maddalena and a body kick from Muhammad. Jab for JDM. Jab again for Maddalena and a kick from Muhammed.
More jabs from Maddalena. Now Muhammad works his jab. Jab and a solid right hand from Muhammad. The champ steps in and lands another good right hand.
Low kick for JDM. High kick attempt from Maddalena is blocked, but he gets through with a right hand afterwards. JDM with a leg kick and light body kick too.
Inside leg kick for Maddalena. High kick attempt from Muhammad. Calf kick for JDM. Nicely disguised left hand from the challenger.
Muhammad wades in and tries for a takedown, but JDM stuffs that. Muhammad with punches instead. Now a low kick.
JDM threatens with a knee and Muhammad avoids it and lands a strike of his own. Brief exchange in close with Muhammad firing off punches and Maddalena looking to respond.
Round Two
Body kick from Muhammad comes off the arm. Maddalena lands a body kick of his own. Right hand gets through for Muhammad.
Jab lands for the champ. JDM almost ducks into a head kick from Muhammad. Right hand for Maddalena. Foot jab from Maddalena, and then another.
Right hand gets through for Maddalena. Solid body kick from Muhammad. Maddalena with a jab to the body and then a push kick too.
Low kick and a right hand from Muhammad. Muhammad tries for a takedown, but JDM avoids it. Muhammad with a body kick while avoiding a punch.
Inside leg kick from JDM. Overhand right into a takedown attempt from Muhammad. He only gets him down for a split-second though. Muhammad with punches as they stand back up.
Back to striking range now. Calf kick for Maddalena. Nice punch for Muhammad. He lands another. Both men exchanging punches. Spinning high kicks from Maddalena late in the round, but Muhammad slides out of range.
Round Three
Calf kick for JDM. Glancing left hook for Muhammad. Nice combination to the head and body from Maddalena. Leg kick for JDM. Muhammad with a short flurry.
Jab for JDM. Inside leg kick for the challenger. He tries for a head kick. Maddalena feints a takedown and throws a left hook. Muhammad with a double jab.
Muhammad lands another jab. Now a one-two from him. Jab for JDM. Sneaky jab for him. Now a foot jab. Belal with a couple of punches. Low kick for JDM.
Body punch for Maddalena. Right hand for him. Left hook counter from Muhammad. Maddalena with a double jab and Muhammad with a left hand.
Muhammad darts forward with punches but misses. Heavy right hand for JDM. A couple of punches connect for Muhammad. A couple of well-timed jabs from JDM.
Body kick from Muhammad. JDM punches into a takedown now late in teh round, but Maddalena does well to not only defend that, but also counter with a takedown attempt of his own before the horn.
Round Four
Calf kick for JDM. He land another. Muhammad tries for a flurry, but Maddalena uses movement to emerge unscathed.
Muhammad applies pressure and lands a punch. Another right hand for him. Left hook from JDM now. Muhammad starting to work one-two’s. Now Maddalena fires back.
One-two for Muhammad. Jab from Muhammad and a counter lands in response from JDM. Thudding uppercuts from Muhammad, then a taekdown attempt that doesn’t pay off and then back to striking. However, JDM connects with good punches. Muhammad trying for takedown against the cage. JDM defending, but then Muhammad gets him to a knee and tries to shunt around to his back.
Maddalena doing well to fend off this attempt and then turn into him against the cage. Muhammad reverses the position. He lands an uppercut and a straight before they separate.
Body kick for Muhammad and a jab. Jab for JDM and one from Muhammad. Jab for JDM. Maddalena with his, then fends off another Muhammad takedown.
JDM clinching up against the cage now, but Muhammad reverses that. He tries to work around to the back and throws a kick at clsoe range that only just misses.
Glancing jab for Muhammad. JDM connects. Muhammad threatening with a knee that doesn’t land. JDM trying to press forward in the final seconds, but Muhammad’s pressure and active offense has been the story of this round.
Round Five
Muhammad with a nice flurry. Jab for JDm. Body kick from Muhammad. Muhammad pressing forward, but JDM lands a punch and a kick.
Hard punch lands for JDM. Knee from the challenger cuts Muhammad with a knee to the face. Muhammad lands a punch in response though.
Muhammad able to land a takedown. Three minutes left for the champ to work. He’s in half-guard here and trying to work ground-and-pound.
Maddalena does well to scramble back to his feet. Jab for Muhammad. He lands it again. Elbow from Maddalena and Muhammad fires back.
Good left hand from Maddalena. He lands again and Muhammad seems hurt. Maddalena connects again and then opts to clinch up.
They peel off the cage and Maddalena drives forward, only for Muhammad to use that momentum to work a takedown. He improves his position, but then Maddalena does well to work to his feet.
Muhammad trying to get in close again but JDM bursts free and blasts him. Maddalena with big strikes and Muhammad looks to be the one tiring here, but is fighting on regardless. Great round.
Decision
A good, competitive title fight here then that only got better in the championship rounds, but it was Maddalena who was getting the better of the action for the most part with his assured striking and strong takedown defense. Muhammad upped the pressure in the final couple of rounds, but JDM matched his intensity and rightfully emerges with a unanimous decision victory (48-47 x2, 49-46) to win the belt.
