MONTREAL — Jack Della Maddalena from Australia claimed the UFC welterweight title by unanimous decision early Sunday, topping Beral Muhammad after a thrilling final round filled with action.
Della Maddalena, hailing from Perth and with a boxing background, successfully defended against multiple takedown attempts by the skilled wrestler Muhammad. This victory marks Della Maddalena’s 18th professional win, while Muhammad faced his first loss in six years.
“He really pressured me… I knew I had to stay sharp,” Della Maddalena shared.
“I was aiming for a finish. Beral is tough,” he added, acknowledging the challenge presented by his opponent.
Della caught Muhammad in a vulnerable position, but Muhammad countered with a strike and a head kick—though he missed. The Australian fighter retaliated with a sharp jab and body kick combination that seemed to phase Muhammad. A left hook from Muhammad followed, but Della Maddalena answered back with a solid straight.
In the third round, Della Maddalena’s corner urged him, “You’re winning; he doesn’t know what to do now,” while Muhammad’s coach urged his fighter to push for a decisive finish.
As the bout progressed, Muhammad unleashed a series of straights and jabs, attempting to feint his takedown with an uppercut. Yet, Della Maddalena skillfully countered and landed a kick as both fighters neared the edge of the octagon.
Before the final round, Della Maddalena’s corner motivated him with, “Five more minutes to make all your dreams come true.”
In the closing moments, Della Maddalena delivered a barrage of knees that cut Muhammad. Unwilling to back down, Muhammad sought to maintain the pace, landing a takedown and attempting to strike Della Maddalena on the ground.
Nevertheless, Della Maddalena swiftly got back on his feet and countered with powerful punches to both the head and body, ultimately earning victory with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.
Mahachev
The 28-year-old Della Maddalena expressed interest in a matchup with lightweight champion Islam Makachev, who recently took the belt from Alexander Volkanovski.
“It’s an exciting challenge. He’s number one. I want to avenge Volk,” he remarked.
In the co-main event, Kyrgyzstan’s Valentina Shevchenko successfully defended her flyweight title through unanimous decision against Manon Fiorot, who faced her first defeat after a streak of 12 wins.
In the first round, Shevchenko landed a powerful right hook that affected Fiorot. However, the French fighter responded strongly, managing to pin Shevchenko against the cage and landing effective knee strikes in the following rounds.
Despite the pressure, Shevchenko broke free from a bodylock in the fourth round, knocking Fiorot down and finishing strongly with a superwoman punch in the final round, securing the judges’ scores of 48-47 across the board.
