For the first time ever, Australia boasts two UFC champions, and Alexander Volkanovski is absolutely thrilled. On Saturday night at UFC 315, Jack Della Maddalena delivered an upset victory, defeating Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision to claim the welterweight title in the main event. This significant win positions “JDM” as only the third Australian champion in UFC history, following Volkanovski himself and Robert Whittaker. Combined with Volkanovski`s recent reclaiming of the featherweight belt at UFC 314 last month, this landmark achievement means that for the very first time, “The Land Down Under” proudly holds two simultaneous UFC championships.
“Jack Delly got it done! How awesome is that? Two belts heading back to Australia,” Volkanovski shared on his YouTube channel. “What a great fight, really entertaining and highly competitive. When I heard the 49-46 score, I immediately thought that had to be Jack. If anyone deserved that scorecard, it was him. Obviously, there were some very close rounds…”
“His boxing was fantastic, and his takedown defense held up exceptionally well. Even when he was taken down, he was never in a truly dangerous situation. There was one moment in the fight where he ended up on the bottom. It`s fascinating watching Jack Della. I even anticipated Muhammad might get him down, but Jack always finds a way back to his feet eventually. It`s almost like sometimes he accepts being down for a moment – `Okay, well done. I`ll maybe take 10 or 20 seconds here to catch my breath.` But whenever he decides it`s time to make something happen and stand up, he can. If you look back at some of his previous fights, you`ll see him doing this, and we saw it again tonight. Belal managed to get him held down, but when Jack chose, `Alright, I`m getting up,` he just created space and popped right back up.”
Despite Della Maddalena securing the victory, Belal Muhammad put on a commendable performance. While he couldn`t secure sustained takedowns, “Remember the Name” had his moments in the striking exchanges, contributing to both fighters earning Fight of the Night honors. Muhammad did suffer significant damage during the bout, and Volkanovski acknowledged the former contender`s durability.
“Credit to Belal,” Volkanovski stated. “Belal stood his ground throughout. Della was landing powerful shots, and Belal was absorbing them. So, you have to give credit to Belal for having such a chin. I honestly thought some of those shots would have put him down, so credit where it`s due for taking them the way he did.”
“But Della, fantastic work, mate. That is an incredible victory. It`s a massive win against a formidable, well-rounded opponent like Belal. Truly incredible. Two belts are now in Australia…”
“It`s incredible. I`m buzzing! I am so, so happy for Jack Della. That`s genuinely making history. Two belts currently in Australia. Two champions simultaneously. Absolutely incredible. Jack Della, congratulations. Well done, my man.”
