UFC 315 showcased how the then–#4-ranked welterweight in the world became the new champion, as Jack Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad to capture the title.
But it wasn’t just the win that caught everyone’s attention—it was JDM’s dominant performance that has me believing he could potentially beat the pound-for-pound king, Islam Makhachev. And after a recent conversation with Din Thomas, I know I’m not alone.
In the latest episode of Din Thomas’ FightCourt, we broke down the title fight, which naturally led to projecting potential future matchups for the new champ. It’s now official: Islam has vacated the lightweight title to pursue gold in the welterweight division. Here’s what Din had to say:
“So I did a study on Islam a little while ago. A couple of things stand out to me. He has trouble with punches being thrown at him from a southpaw stance. Now, I’m not saying he has problems with southpaws in general—but he does have issues seeing punches coming from that angle at times, especially if his opponent mixes things up well.”
Din also referenced the one loss on Islam’s record—a knockout by southpaw Adriano Martins via right hook. He went on to explain how Volkanovski gave Islam fits when switching to southpaw, and how Dustin Poirier also found success in striking exchanges.
“I think if Jack switches stances and gets his hands going, he might light Islam up.”
Din also gave credit to Craig Jones—grappling coach for both Volk and JDM—for preparing his fighters against elite grapplers and wrestlers.
“I think Craig has given these guys so many cheat codes to avoid submissions… What he did with Volk to deal with Islam was instrumental. I’m sure what he did with Jack against Belal was key—and what he’ll do to prepare Jack for Islam is going to make a big difference.”
What really caught my eye in Jack’s performance was his counterpunching. His ability to create distance and land counter right hands and right-hook–left-hook combinations was nothing short of exceptional. Not only did this deal damage to the champion, but it also shut down takedown attempts with built-in defensive awareness.
From a boxing standpoint, I don’t think he threw the same combo twice—or even from the same angle. That variety kept Muhammad guessing and slowed down his attempts to clinch or bring the fight to the ground. It’s funny how people assume a wrestler is “choosing to strike” when in reality, they just can’t time a takedown because the striker’s angles and shot selection are so sharp. That’s exactly what JDM displayed.
Between Jack Della Maddalena’s elite striking and footwork, a coach who keeps him well-prepared, and the minor—but real—deficiencies that Islam Makhachev has shown, an upset could very well be in the making. Din Thomas, in addition to being a UFC analyst, spent years training and coaching at American Top Team, where he helped develop multiple world champions across PFL, Bellator, and the UFC—including Tyron Woodley, one of the longest-reigning welterweight champions in UFC history.
This might be the most anticipated fight the UFC has to offer in 2025. There’s going to be plenty of talk, and the media won’t miss a beat in covering it. I can’t wait!
For a more detailed breakdown of the event, check out this episode of Din Thomas’ FightCourt on YouTube and the Fight Bananas audio platforms.
