Robert Whittaker recently shared his thoughts on Belal Muhammad`s performance at UFC 315, questioning his strategic approach.
At the event, Jack Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision to claim the welterweight title. It was a standout showing from “JDM,” who effectively defended against most of Muhammad`s takedown attempts and landed significant strikes on the feet. This victory made Della Maddalena the third Australian UFC champion, joining the ranks of Whittaker and Alexander Volkanovski – a fact that brought Whittaker considerable joy.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Whittaker expressed his excitement, declaring, “Another Australian champion! How good does it feel to be an Aussie right now? He just stuck to his guns. He did everything so well. I can’t be happier. I’m proud as punch right now.”
Despite his happiness for Della Maddalena, the former UFC middleweight champion couldn`t help but analyze Muhammad`s performance critically. Muhammad had stated before the fight that he wouldn`t attempt takedowns, promising to showcase his striking abilities instead. While he did attempt nine takedowns, Whittaker felt it wasn`t the focused grappling attack that typically defines Muhammad`s style.
“I expected more takedowns,” Whittaker commented, while acknowledging the difficulty of judging from the outside. He noted that Muhammad`s successful takedowns in the later rounds occurred when he effectively combined striking with his shots, drawing Della Maddalena into position. “From the outside, in the third or fourth round, when he mixed in his striking and his shots, when he mixed in the striking to bring Jack onto his shots, they were clean every time. I think his only two takedowns were from the open mat, drawing Jack in sort of thing.”
Whittaker questioned why Muhammad didn`t utilize this effective combination more frequently. He speculated that Muhammad might have been overly focused on proving his striking prowess against Della Maddalena, a strategy Whittaker considered “ridiculous” given JDM`s excellent mid-range boxing.
He contrasted this approach with Muhammad`s usual winning formula, which relies on the seamless integration of striking and takedowns (“punch-punch-punch, shoot”). Whittaker emphasized that while Belal isn`t a primary submission artist like some (mentioning Gilbert Burns), his effectiveness comes from this combined pressure, which he felt was missing on Saturday.
However, Whittaker also conceded that Della Maddalena`s defensive efforts likely played a significant role in deterring Muhammad`s grappling game. He suggested JDM`s strong control of the cage center in the initial rounds prevented Muhammad from forcing the fight against the fence.
Whittaker debated whether this lack of grappling was primarily due to Della Maddalena`s excellent defense or Muhammad`s strategic decision to stand and trade blows, viewing the latter as an uphill battle, while respecting the “rock-and-stick way” of testing oneself.
Looking ahead, Della Maddalena expressed interest in a potential superfight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, a possibility previously hinted at by UFC CEO Dana White. Whittaker shared his thoughts on this intriguing prospective matchup.
“I’m curious. I’m very curious,” Whittaker stated. He believes Makhachev executes every aspect of Muhammad`s game “better, to a much higher degree.” While acknowledging Alexander Volkanovski`s success in landing shots on Makhachev (suggesting JDM, with his close-range fighting style, could potentially do the same), Whittaker warned that fighting at close range also exposes Della Maddalena to Makhachev`s significantly superior takedown ability and ground control compared to Belal.
Whittaker concluded with uncertainty regarding the potential outcome of such a high-stakes fight, remarking, “What does that mean? I don’t know,” followed by a laugh.
