According to Robert Whittaker, Belal Muhammad`s fight plan last weekend might not have been the most effective.
Muhammad suffered a unanimous decision loss to Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC 315 main event, relinquishing his welterweight title. Della Maddalena delivered an exceptional performance, successfully defending against most of Muhammad`s takedown attempts and landing significant power shots on the feet. This victory cemented Della Maddalena as the third Australian UFC champion, following Whittaker and Alexander Volkanovski – an achievement that brought Whittaker considerable joy.
“Another Australian champion!” Whittaker exclaimed on his YouTube channel. “How good does it feel to be an Aussie right now? He just stuck to his guns. He did everything so well. I can’t be happier. I’m proud as punch right now.”
While happy with the result for his countryman, the former middleweight king couldn`t help but question if Muhammad fought to his full potential. Muhammad had publicly committed to not shooting for takedowns, instead planning to rely on his striking, or “Canelo hands.” Despite attempting nine takedowns, this wasn`t the consistent grappling assault typically associated with Muhammad`s style.
“I expected more takedowns,” Whittaker stated, acknowledging the benefit of hindsight. He observed that Muhammad`s few successful takedowns occurred when he effectively used striking to set them up in later rounds. Whittaker pondered why this wasn`t a more consistent approach, speculating that Muhammad might have prioritized striking early on, a choice Whittaker found questionable given Della Maddalena`s strong midrange boxing.
Whittaker believes Muhammad`s path to the top was built on his `punch-shoot-punch-shoot` rhythm. He clarified that Belal isn`t a submission artist like Gilbert Burns but excels at relentless pressure and chain wrestling to wear opponents down – a strategy he felt was missing against Della Maddalena.
However, Whittaker also conceded that Della Maddalena`s defensive skills might have played a significant role in preventing Muhammad from executing his usual game plan.
“Now I can also look at it that Jack did such a good job dissuading Belal from the takedowns, as well as keeping that distance,” Whittaker added. He praised Della Maddalena`s control of the cage center in the initial rounds, preventing Muhammad from getting him to the fence. He debated whether this was purely due to JDM`s excellent defense or if Muhammad deliberately sought to test his striking, calling the latter a difficult endeavor.
In the aftermath of his win, Della Maddalena mentioned being open to a potential superfight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, a possibility UFC CEO Dana White had previously hinted at. Whittaker weighed in on this potential matchup, suggesting it could present a tougher challenge for Della Maddalena.
“I’m curious. I’m very curious,” Whittaker stated. He views Islam Makhachev as possessing similar skills to Belal Muhammad but operating at a significantly higher level, particularly in grappling. However, citing Alexander Volkanovski`s success in landing strikes on Makhachev, Whittaker believes Della Maddalena could also find striking opportunities, though his close-range style increases vulnerability to takedowns. He emphasized Makhachev`s superior takedown setups and ground control compared to Muhammad.
“What does that mean? I don’t know. [Laughs].”
