UFC 315: Belal Muhammad makes first defence of his title

The welterweight title will be up for grabs at UFC 315 as champion Belal Muhammad makes his first defence against Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena in Montreal.

Originally slated to face Shavkat Rakhmonov, Muhammad will instead take on the dangerous Della Maddalena, who is set for his first title shot in the UFC.

Muhammad, who captured the belt last summer with a dominant win over Leon Edwards in Manchester, returns from injury eager to begin a long reign at the top of the division.

Unbeaten since 2019, the American’s relentless wrestling and suffocating pressure have overwhelmed most of his opponents as he climbed the ranks the hard way.

Standing in his path is Della Maddalena — a slick striker with arguably the fastest hands in the division.

The Australian earned his title opportunity with a dramatic knockout victory over Gilbert Burns, landing a knee to the head in the third round after trailing for much of the contest.

This matchup promises a classic clash of styles. Muhammad’s grappling is expected to pose serious problems for Della Maddalena, whose cardio has also been questioned in longer bouts.

However, if the challenger can stuff early takedown attempts and keep the fight on the feet, he may present problems Muhammad has not encountered before.

High stakes surround the bout. UFC president Dana White confirmed that if Muhammad retains his belt, Ilia Topuria will face Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in June. But if Della Maddalena pulls off the upset, Topuria will instead meet former champion Charles Oliveira.

In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko will begin her second reign as UFC flyweight champion when she faces France’s Manon Fiorot.

Shevchenko, long regarded as one of the most dominant female