Belal Muhammad will go up against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 for the first defense of his welterweight title. He was initially supposed to face Shavkat Rakhmonov on an earlier date but had to pull out of UFC 310 due to a severe injury and infection.
When the champion recovered, the challenger got hurt, and Della Maddalena got his shot at the gold.
Belal Muhammad Issues a Cold Warning to Jack Della Maddalena
Muhammad is the betting favorite going into the fight against Della Maddalena, and the champion is confident about getting the job done. During the UFC 315 media day interview, a reporter asked whether he could call himself the champion before defending the title.
Muhammad replied that he has earned his claim as champion and explained that he doesn’t see it as defending the belt but instead fighting for it. The 36-year-old added that his mentality has been the same throughout his career.
“I’m not coming in here, uh, you know, as the guy that’s being hunted. I’m the hunter. I want Jack’s record. I want Jack’s streak. I want Jack’s soul,” Muhammad said.
"I want Jack's record. I want Jack's streak. I want Jack's SOUL."
Belal Muhammad is not playing ahead of his #UFC315 title defense. 😳 pic.twitter.com/1bKucMbVou
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) May 7, 2025
“Remember the Name” also responded to Della Maddalena’s bold claim that he would retire Muhammad after a victory at UFC 315.
“For him to just keep adding these little words, these little phrases, right? ‘I’m going to save the division, I’m going to save this, I’m going to do that.’ I just can’t wait for him to eat his words and eat these fists,” Muhammad said.
Muhammad also mentioned that Della Maddalena is not a good trash talker and that all his attempts were made by his grappling coach, Craig Jones.
Belal Muhammad Previews UFC 315 Fight
Preluding the UFC 315 title fight against Della Maddalena, Muhammad was interviewed by Fox Sports Australia‘s Niko Pajarillo. The 36-year-old credited his upcoming opponent, but assured that he will remain champion after UFC 315.
“I’ve been watching him. I’ve been paying attention to him. I’m always paying attention to the guys in my division. And yeah, he has a lot of heart. He’s had some good fights, tough fights, and he never gives up,” Muhammad said of Della Maddalena.
However, he quickly reminded Pajarillo that none of Della Maddalena’s opponents were on his level. When asked what the difference was, Muhammad replied, “I’m the best in the world. None of these guys are on my level. And I’m going to show it again Saturday night.”
Muhammad also delved into Della Maddalena’s last fight, against Gilbert Burns at UFC 299, which he had won via third-round knockout. The welterweight champion said that Della Maddalena fought very well and showed heart by winning by a late finish.
However, he pointed out that Burns often loses steam after the earlier rounds, which won’t be the case with him.