MMA fighter Jack Della Maddalena has cemented his place in Australian history, defeating Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision, winning the UFC welterweight championship at UFC 315 in Montreal.

The Perth-born fighter controlled the five-round contest after walking out to AC/DC’s iconic ‘TNT’. Della Maddalena landed 178 significant strikes to Muhammad’s 132 and successfully defended six of nine takedown attempts. His disciplined performance earned him judges’ scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47, capping off a near-flawless night inside the octagon.

“This feels exactly how I thought it would — it feels f—ing good,” he said post-fight.

The win marks Della Maddalena’s 18th consecutive victory. The Australian has recorded five finishes by knockout or submission, since bursting onto the scene via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021.

Della Maddalena becomes the first Australian male to hold the UFC welterweight belt, adding to the country’s growing presence in global combat sports, following the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Robert Whittaker.

His next challenge will likely come against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who has hinted at a move up to the welterweight division in pursuit of a second title.

Makhachev holds back-to-back wins over Australian featherweight great Alexander Volkanovski, a fact that is already on the mind of the Perth product.

“It’s a beautiful challenge … I’m gonna get it back for Volk,” he said.

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