Jack Della Maddalena outboxed Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 to go from Contender Series alum to the UFC welterweight champion. 

Della Maddalena (18-2) used his excellent boxing skills to damage Muhammad (24-4, 1 NC) through the fight. He used leg kicks to force Muhammad back and jabs to damage his face. Muhammad got busted open at some point, and he didn’t utilize his ground game to take Della Maddalena down. 

Speaking of, outside striking, JDM had an incredible takedown defense mark against Muhammad, with the latter only landing three of nine. Della Maddalena landed 178 of 342 significant strikes, not discriminating where he landed them. It was an incredible display of power against a durable Muhammad. 

Round three saw both exchange shots, but Della Maddalena didn’t tire out as the fight continued. He proved that with a flurry in the fifth that could have taken Muhammad out if he was slightly more aggressive. The Perth-born star has won 18 straight, while Muhammad’s unbeaten streak, which started in 2019, has ended. 

The fight was significant as it determined if the UFC would book Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria. Della Maddalena is ready to potentially face Makhachev, the man who beat fellow Aussie Alexander Volkanovski twice. 

“I think it’s a beautiful challenge. He’s pound-for-pound No. 1. I’m going to get him back for Volk,” Della Maddalena said. 

THE KNEE EARNS A CUT IN THE FINAL ROUND 😮‍💨

[ #UFC315 | Jack Della Maddalena ] pic.twitter.com/senNkqEcMi

— UFC (@ufc) May 11, 2025

Manon Fiorot bided her time, beating top contenders and was the backup for fights featuring Valentina Shevchenko. The French fighter was due for a title shot, but Shevchenko was inevitable. “The Bullet” retained the UFC flyweight title in a chess match. 

Shevchenko (25-4-1) was forced to fight back as Fiorot (12-2) went shot for shot with her. She forced Shevchenko into the cage several times, partly to avoid further damage to her nose. Shevchenko managed to avoid several takedown attempts by Fiorot while landing a few of her own. 

Round three was a chess match, but the rest of the fight was all Shevchenko, who earned the decision win. Shevchenko is now 2-0-1 in her last three fights and may have contenders already waiting for her (more on that later). 

It was a wild fight between Aiemann Zahabi and Jose Aldo. Aldo controlled the first half of the fight. The second round was considered debatable. And then the third round happened. Aldo almost had the fight won thanks to leg kicks, but he got winded right after. 

Zahabi took advantage of Aldo’s weariness, which included Aldo looking at the clock with three minutes left. On the floor, Aldo got rocked with elbows, which almost marked the end of the fight. Zahabi has won six straight. 

After the fight, Aldo, a Hall of Famer who has gone 1-3 in his last four fights, called it a career for the second time. 

Shevchenko may have a new contender to worry about, as Natalia Silva beat former Shevchenko rival Alexa Grasso. The Brazilian outclassed the former champion, landing punishing kicks all over her body. She avoided massive takedowns and absorbed several jabs. 

MORE: Top 10 women's fights in MMA history

Silva has now won 13 straight. She may also have some competition, as Jasmine Jasudavicius beat former world champion Jessica Andrade via submission earlier in the night. Ranked ninth in the division as of UFC 315, Jasudavicius has now won five straight. 

On a two-fight losing streak, a lot was riding on the line for Benoit Saint-Denis. He returned to form by submitting Kyle Prepolec in the second round. The French fighter landed massive takedowns and elbows. 

After almost submitting Prepolec in round one, Saint-Denis finished the job in round two. The aggressive Saint-Denis gets his first win since 2023.

The Sporting News provided results for the entire UFC 315 fight card.

UFC 315 full card results

Main Card

• Jack Della Maddalena def. Belal Muhammad (c) via unanimous decision for the UFC welterweight title (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
• Valentina Shevchenko (c) def. Manon Fiorot for the UFC flyweight title (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
• Aiemann Zahabi def. Jose Aldo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Natalia Silva def. Alexa Grasso via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Benoit Saint-Denis def. Kyle Prepolec via arm-triangle choke (2:35 into round two)

Prelims 

• Mike Malott def. Charles Radtke via KO (0:26 into round two)
• Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Jessica Andrade via rear-naked choke (2:40 into round one)
• Modestas Bukauskas def. Ion Cutelaba via split decision (27-30, 30-27, 29-28)
• Navajo Stirling def. Ivan Erslan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)

Early Prelims

• Marc-Andre Barriault def. Bruno Silva via KO (1:27 into round one)
• Daniel Santos def. Lee Jeong-yeong (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Bekzat Almakhan def. Brad Katona via KO (1:04 into round one)