Australia has a new UFC champion in Jack Della Maddalena. Della Maddalena put in a fantastic performance in the main event of UFC 315, outworking Belal Muhammad to win the UFC welterweight championship.
The big concern for Della Maddalena coming into the fight was Muhammad's pressure style and wrestling base. Muhammad was never able to keep Della Maddalena on the canvas, however, and it was Della Maddalena's pinpoint striking that told the story of the fight.
From the opening round, Muhammad was on the chase, following Della Maddalena around the Octagon while the challenger connected with sharp punches. As the rounds ticked by, it was clear Della Maddalena was in control, having bloodied Muhammad's nose with strikes and cutting him under the eye with a hard counter knee.
When Muhammad was able to score takedowns, Della Maddalena was able to get back to his feet without being controlled or taking any damage.
The final round saw Della Maddalena punctuation a near-perfect performance with several flurries that forced a hurt Muhammad to defend rather than attack. At the end of five rounds of action, Della Maddalena was declared the winner by official scorecards of 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.
"It's exactly how I thought it would feel," Della Maddalena said after his win. "He brings the pressure, you know. I knew I needed to be sharp. ... Coming in there against someone with that pressure wrestling, I knew I had to be start. I couldn't spend a lot of time on my back."
The next challenge for Della Maddalena may already be clear, with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev having his sights set on moving up to win a title in a second weight class. Della Maddalena looked at the potential fight as an opportunity to get revenge for fellow Australian fighter Alexander Volkanovski, who lost twice to Makhachev.
"It's a beautiful challenge. he's pound-for-pound number one and I'm gonna get it for Volk," Della Maddalena said.
Elsewhere on the card, Valentina Shevchenko remains the class of the 125-pound division. Shevchenko outpointed Manon Fiorot in a tight battle between the pair of veterans. Shevchenko is now on her second reign as champion in the flyweight ranks after a trilogy with Alexa Grasso. Plus, Jose Aldo laid his gloves down in the ring to signify his retirement (for a second time) after a tough loss to Aieman Zahabi on the main card. Aldo, who was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023, went 1-2 in his three appearances upon return.
CBS Sports was with you the entire way on Saturday, bringing you all the results and highlights from the UFC 315 below.
Muhammad never got his pressure game going with any consistency and that led to Della Maddalena getting the victory to become champion.
Muhammad landed a good body kick in the opening moments, trying to keep up the pressure. Della Maddalena landed a left hook and a good right hand before slipping away. A Della Maddalena knee landed and cut Muhammad before Muhammad landed a right hand. Muhammad shot for a takedown and got it, fully putting Della Maddalena on his back for the first time in the fight. Della Maddalena managed to kick his way free and end up back on the feet. Della Maddalena landed a pair of good elbows and a hard left hand. Della Maddalena poured it on with hard punches that seemed to have Muhammad hurt. Della Maddalena worked body shots before Muhammad managed a throw for a takedown but Della Maddalena got up quickly. Della Maddalena landed a knee and a flurry along the cage. Della Maddalena landed a few more late punches and that may have won him a championship.
Della Maddalena opened with a leg kick and a jab. Muhammad charged in with some punches but Della Maddalena slipped them well. Muhammad started to apply a bit more pressure and connected with some punches before a hard flurry from Della Maddalena. Muhammad landed a good one-two combo after a jab from Della Maddalena. Della Maddalena landed a good right hand before a jab from Muhammad. Muhammad tried to charge forward and both men ate some big shots in the exchange. Muhammad grabbed a clinch and slid to Della Maddalena's back to try and score a takedown. Della Maddalena got underhooks and reversed the position, landing some body shots in the clinch. Muhammad landed some punches in the clinch. Muhammad landed a good jab. Della Maddalena stuffed a takedown and pushed Muhammad into the cage before Muhammad reversed and tried to throw some kicks to the head. Muhammad finally pressured well and it likely won him the round.
Della Maddalena connected with a good combination that went to the body and head. Della Maddalena slipped punches and landed a punch from both hands. Della Maddalena pumped out several jabs as Muhammad continued trying to figure out how to cut off the Octagon. Muhammad did throw a few good jabs and a solid right hand. Della Maddalena's jab continued to land well and Muhammad was sporting a bloody nose as a result. Muhammad landed a good right hand and a pair of jabs. A hard right hand landed for Della Maddalena. Della Maddalena landed hard with a right hand. Della Maddalena landed a good left hand as Muhammad finally started to push forward. Muhammad had Della Maddalena against the cage but Della Maddalena defended well to stay upright before nearly scoring a takedown of his own.
Della Maddalena landed a body kick early. Muhammad landed a nice short right hand before a solid jab. Muhammad just missed a head kick. Della Maddalena connected with a right hand as he mixed in a few more feints. Another right hand got in for Della Maddalena before another landed seconds later. Muhammad shot a takedown but couldn't get inside as Della Maddalena dipped down. Della Maddalena connected with a leg kick as Muhammad just seemed to not be fully on his game. Muhammad had a good entry on a takedown but Della Maddalena defended well to remain upright. Muhammad landed a few nice right hands before eating a left hand. Della Maddalena threw a few spinning kicks at the end of the round.
Della Maddalena landed a right hand and then started to work the jab in the early moments. Della Maddalena landed a leg kick before a jab and body kick from Muhammad. Della Maddalena continued poking with strikes, not sitting down on anything but touching Muhammad. Muhammad landed a good overhand right. Della Maddalena landed a grazing head kick and then a good right hand. Della Maddalena landed a kick to the leg before avoiding a Muhammad head kick. Della Maddalena again went to the leg with a good kick. Della Maddalena then landed a good left hand. Muhammad finally shot for a takedown but it was defended. Muhammad did land a left hand after the stuffed takedown. Muhammad landed a good straight shot after avoiding a Della Maddalena knee.Della Maddalena landed a good uppercut that was answered by a Muhammad elbow. A good opening round for the challenger.
Della Maddalena is looking to take advantage of a major opportunity presented when a fight between Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov failed to materialize due to injuries to both men. Muhammad is a slight favorite heading into his first defense of the title he won from Leon Edwards in 2014. The main event is coming up shortly.
This was a close fight and Fiorot deserves a lot of credit for making it a razor-thin bout after a rough first round. It wasn't always entertaining but Shevchenko remains champion and Fiorot stays in the hunt for another shot at the belt.
Shevchenko landed a good counter early in the round with the fight feeling very much up for grabs. Shevchenko connected with a spinning backfist before Fiorot pushed into the cage once again. Shevchenko landed a Superman punch before yet another clinch against the cage. Shevchenko landed a quick flurry of jabs at range before a few return shots from Fiorot. Shevchenko landed a good right hand and another spinning backfist. Fiorot connected with an elbow before the end of the round.
Shevchenko landed a short right hand counter. Shevchenko landed a pair of jabs before just missing with a spinning back kick. Shevchenko landing a few strikes got Fiorot's nose bleeding again. Fiorot charged in and clinched again, forcing Shevchenko into the cage. Shevchenko defended well to remain upright and break free from the clinch. Shevchenko landed a good spinning back kick to the body. Fiorot again pushed Shevchenko into the cage with a clinch before Shevchenko broke free. Shevchenko ducked a punch directly into a takedown but Fiorot quickly got back to her feet. Fiorot put Shevchenko right back against the cage. Shevchenkoo landed a big right hand late that dropped Fiorot. A few punches landed on the ground before the round ended.
Neither woman landed much of anything meaningful in the first minute, mostly poking with punches and kicks. Shevchenko did land a good leg kick before Fiorot landed an elbow in a brief clinch. Shevchenko level changed but gave up on the takedown quickly. Fiorot landed several knees to the body in the clinch. The women traded knees in a clinch before Fiorot pushed Shevchenko into the cage. Shevchenko landed a spinning backfist but Fiorot grabbed a bodylock and nearly scored a takedown. Fiorot continued with knees to the back of the leg as she held the bodylock. Fiorot may have won that round on the mid-round knees to the body.
Fiorot tried to grapple along the cage but Shevchenko easily defended the situation. Fiorot tried to work a few more kicks but ate a right hand from Shevchenko. Shevchenko used a trip for a takedown but Fiorot scrambled free as they hit the ground. Fiorot avoided another takedown attempt moments later. Fiorot again shot in for a takedown and held onto Shevchenko against the cage. Fiorot landed an elbow on the exit after not completing the takedown. Fiorot shot in again and this time put Shevchenko down into a seated position against the cage. Fiorot almost landed an illegal knee along the cage while Shevchenko was still grounded before the round ended.
Shevchenko landed a good right hand as Fiorot tried to charge in. A lot of tense feeling out was happening early but Fiorot tried to work her kicks. Shevchenko continued to connect with counterpunches, drawing a big stream of blood from Fiorot's nose. Shevchenko caught a kick and used it to take Fiorot down. Shevchenko threw short punches to the body from half guard as she continued to try and own the position before the round ended.
Fiorot is the slight favorite heading into her first UFC title fight, but she's facing the greatest women's flyweight fighter of all time. Shevchenko is looking to make her first defense of the title since winning it back from Alexa Grasso.
A fantastic fight and one that boosts Zahabi's stock significantly. Personally, I believe Aldo deserved the win with rounds 1 and 2 fairly clear, but the result is the result and Zahabi more than held up his end of the fight throughout.
Aldo came out well, landing some good counters to Zahabi's jab. Zahabi threw two jabs and a right hand but didn't follow up with anything meaningful. Aldo rocked Zahabi with a head kick and follow up punches. Zahabi went down but managed to survive and get back to his feet where Aldo continued the assault. Zahabi fired back with some good strikes before an exhausted Aldo looked up at the clock. Aldo shot for a takedown but ended up missing and on his back with Zahabi on top. Aldo locked up the guard, just trying to hang on and survive the round. Zahabi landed some ground and pound before some big elbows started to land. Aldo, exhausted, continued to try and just hang on. Zahabi cut Aldo with big elbows. Aldo also began to swell from the strikes. Had Aldo not hurt Zahabi early in the round, he may have gotten a 10-8 but instead he likely loses.
Zahabi landed a good knee in the opening moments. Zahabi worked a nice jab as he kept trying to get the timing down. Aldo countered with some good jabs of his own. Aldo connected with a series of left hands before a hard right hand do the body. An accidental low blow from Zahabi led to a brief break in the action. Zahabi pushed Aldo back toward the cage but Aldo was able to circle out. Another Zahabi kick landed to Aldo's cup for another break. Zahabi landed a leg kick and a jab. Aldo is still landing more shots and his strikes seem more meaningful, even as Zahabi is making it a fight.
Aldo looked to be the much larger man early -- a result of the fight getting bumped to featherweight on Friday -- and he stalked forward while Zahabi circled around the outside of the Octagon. Aldo threw a body kick as he kept stalking. Aldo connected with a jumping knee and a few punches. Aldo connected with another good flurry of punches as Zahabi was on the retreat. An Aldo counter left hand staggered Zahabi briefly. Aldo then connected with a solid right hand. Aldo cracked to the body with both hands. Aldo checked a leg kick as Zahabi kept attempting to navigate Aldo's speed. Zahabi started to push forward and landed a good combination along the ropes before Aldo ripped him to the body and landed a leg kick. Aldo cracked to the body again but Zahabi fired back with some good punches late.
Aldo is looking to get back in the win column after dropping a split decision to Mario Bautista this past October. The legend is 1-2 in his three most recent fights and needs to beat Zahabi to stay anywhere near the hunt for a future title shot. Zahabi has won five straight and is looking to pick up the biggest win of his career in what would be a true statement victory.
Silva gets a win over a former champion and may well be the new No. 1 contender for the title. Silva will no doubt have an eye on the co-main event between Manon Fiorot and champ Valentina Shevchenko for the women's flyweight championship.
Grasso tried to pressure more and did manage to press into a clinch against the cage. Grasso landed a few knees in the clinch but Silva managed to turn her around into the cage before breaking free. Grasso landed a few jabs as she continued chasing Silva around the Octagon. Silva landed a hard two-punch combination. Silva continued with her successful plan of hitting and not being hit, including landed a head kick that cut Grasso below the eye. No doubt who won this one as we head to the scorecards.
Grasso looked to pressure in the early moments while Silva used lateral movement to try and find spaces to strike. Silva landed a head kick with her lead leg. Silva then connected with a check hook. Grasso began to look visibly frustrated. Silva's footwork continued to leave Grasso mostly ineffective. The action would come when Silva decided to sit still for a second, throw a few strikes and get right back to circling. When Grasso did try to let her strikes go, Silva's quick counters were usually the better strikes in the exchange. There was a late flurry of punches between the two that was the best action of the round and the most success Grasso has had in the fight, though Silva landed plenty of her own shots in the exchange.
Silva threw an early head kick that was blocked. Grasso returned ffire with a nice jab that connected. Silva landed a kick to the body and followed up with some punches. Silva continued to find success with kicks, landing hard to the legs and body. Grasso shot for a takedown after Silva slipped while throwing a head kick but Silva defended well. Silva landed a left hook counter and then a side kick to the face. Grasso landed a few jabs but brought nothing behind them. Silva again landed a leg kick and just missed with a spinning kick to follow it up.
Grasso is an underdog in her first fight since losing the women's flyweight title in her trilogy bout with Valentina Shevchenko. If Silva can get the win, it would be the biggest of her career and may well land her in a title match against a winner of Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot in tonight's co-main event.
Prepolec landed a good left hand from his southpaw stance in the opening moments of the round. Saint Denis landed a good leg kick and then a flurry of punches before the action was halted by an accidental eye poke by Prepolec. Saint Denis landed a hard left as action resumed. Saint Denis tried to come forward with more strikes before getting briefly clipped. Saint Denis then got inside and landed hard elbows in the clinch. Saint Denis started landing more and more heavy elbows against the cage. Saint Denis scored another takedown, locked in an arm triangle and forced the tap.
Saint Denis streaked across the cage and scored a takedown just seconds into the fight. Prepolec tried to threaten with a kimura but it allowed Saint Denis to work toward taking the back. After Prepolec fought off a few attempts at a rear-naked choke, Saint Denis unloaded some punches and elbows to the head. Saint Denis took the back fully but Prepolec was able to briefly stand before being taken back down and having his back taken immediately. Saint Denis locked in a body triangle, but Prepolec kept control of Saint Denis' arms to prevent a choke. Saint Denis gave up on the back to drop some ground and pound before Saint Denis took the back again and locked in a face crank until the round ended
Benoit Saint Denis vs. Kyle Prepolec gets the main card action underway. Saint Denis is a heavy favorite against Prepolec, who stepped in on relatively short notice. We'll have round-by-round recaps the rest of the way through the night so make sure to keep it locked in here for notes and thoughts the whole way through UFC 315 from Montreal.
CBS Sports has you covered with our expert picks of every fight on the main card of UFC 315. Only one of the staff is picking Della Maddalena to pull off the upset to win the welterweight championship. Similarly, only one has picked Manon Fiorot to win the women's flyweight title from Valentina Shevchenko in the night's co-main event. Go give it a read while you wait for the main card to get underway at 10 p.m. ET.
A hard left hand from Malott dropped Radtke. Once Radtke hit the floor, Malott followed up with a series of hard punches to force the referee to jump in for the save. With that finish, the prelims are over. The UFC 315 main card kicks off at 10 p.m. ET, all leading to Belal Muhammad defending the welterweight championship against Jack Della Maddalena.
