UFC 315: Expert picks, best bets for Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena - ESPN

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad goes for his first title defense as he faces Jack Della Maddalena in the main event at UFC 315 on Saturday night (8 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+, with prelims at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+/Disney+).

Muhammad, ranked No. 10 on ESPN's pound-for-pound list, has not lost a fight since January 2019. Most recently, he beat Leon Edwards by unanimous decision to claim the welterweight title. Della Maddalena, ESPN's No. 3-ranked welterweight, is unbeaten inside the Octagon, reeling off seven consecutive wins. Della Maddalena pulled off a comeback third-round TKO over Gilbert Burns in his last fight.

In the co-main event, women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko puts her belt on the line against Manon Fiorot. Shevchenko is No. 2 in the ESPN pound-for-pound women's rankings. Fiorot, ESPN's third-ranked flyweight, has won 12 fights in a row, each of the last five by unanimous decision.

Brett Okamoto spoke to retired UFC welterweight Dan Hardy to get his perspective on the main event and Andreas Hale spoke to UFC strawweight Angela Hill to get her breakdown of the co-main event. ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight and analysis on the two title fights and other intriguing bets he likes on the card.

Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

How Muhammad wins: Muhammad is such a well-rounded fighter. He's strong but not overpowering to the point he gasses himself out. He's not super fast, but fast enough to land strikes. He will likely crowd Della Maddalena with his wrestling because he knows Della Maddalena's hands are so sharp. If I were in his corner, I would have Muhammad working at a slightly longer range for this fight. I would also have him looking to throw a