MONTREAL, Canada (Reuters) – Australian Jack Della Maddalena outstruck Belal Muhammad to claim the UFC welterweight championship by unanimous decision in the early hours of Sunday, after a climactic final-round scramble left Muhammad bloodied from a knee strike.
Perth-born Della Maddalena, who has a boxing background, thwarted several takedown attempts from Muhammad, the superior wrestler, to keep most of the fight on the feet as he claimed his 18th professional win in a row, handing the American his first loss in six years.
“He brings the pressure… I knew I had to be sharp on my feet,” Della Maddalena said.
“I wanted to take him out of there. I was gunning for a finish but Belal is a tough dude.”
Della almost caught Muhammad with an early knee up the middle but missed, as the American replied with a punch and a head kick. A double jab-body kick combination from Della Maddalena frustrated Muhammad, who answered with a left hook before the Australian landed powerful straights.
“You are winning, he doesn’t have a clue what to do right now,” Della Maddalena’s corner told him after the third round, while Muhammad’s coaches implored him to go for the finish.
Muhammad led with a flurry of straights and jabs, and tried to hide his takedown attempt behind an uppercut. But Della Maddalena managed to stay on the feet, while Muhammad landed kicks near the fence.
“Five more minutes to realise all your dreams,” Della Maddalena’s corner told him going into the final round.
Della Maddalena cut Muhammad open with a knee but the American, not willing to give up, pushed the pace and landed a hook followed by a takedown, trying to finish the Australian with ground strikes.
But Della Maddalena got up, and unloaded on Muhammad with big punches to the head and body as they both went for a finish until the clock ran out, giving the Australian the win (48-47, 48-47, 49-46).
MAKHACHEV NEXT
Della Maddalena, 28, said he wanted to face lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who had taken the belt from Australian champion Alexander Volkanovski.
“I think it’s a beautiful challenge. He’s the pound-for-pound number one. I want to get him back for Volk,” Della Maddalena said.
In the co-main event, Kyrgyzstan’s Valentina Shevchenko defended her flyweight belt with a unanimous decision over Manon Fiorot, who suffered her first loss after 12 straight wins.
Shevchenko’s right hooks left Fiorot’s nose bleeding in the first round, but the Frenchwoman fought back, pinning Shevchenko to the cage and landing knees from the clinch over the next two rounds.
But Shevchenko escaped a body lock in the fourth round and knocked Fiorot down, before landing a spinning backfist and a superwoman punch in the fifth and final round to ensure a 48-47 victory on all three judges’ scorecards.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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