UFC 315 was a rough outing for Belal Muhammad, as his “Canelo hands” failed to protect his title. Losing by decision with a broken orbital, busted nose, and split lip only added to the gruelling loss. While he entered the bout full of confidence, Jack Della Maddalena’s crisp boxing and rock-solid takedown defense completely shut him down. Now, alongside the backlash from fans and the MMA world, even Team Maddalena has joined the chorus of mockery, with some allegations. 

The former 170-pound champ was once seen as the next dominant force in the division, thanks to his 10-fight win streak and a standout performance against Leon Edwards at UFC 304. He looked sharper than ever back then, but the same can’t be said for his latest outing. Team Maddalena came in with a flawless game plan to neutralize him, especially the grappling threats. The approach also worked because ‘JDM’ was able to fend off 6 out of 9 takedown attempts and landed 178 significant strikes. 

This strategic approach is something Team JDM definitely deserves credit for. Della Maddalena even shared training footage on his YouTube channel titled “How to Beat Belal Muhammad,” where his longtime coach Ben Vickers broke down their preparation for the fight. In the same video, Vickers also took a jab at the former 170-pound kingpin by accusing him of using PEDs. 

In the video, Vickers said, “If you f–ing [do it] like Geoff Neil did, down-block, even he’s not all the way in, then just throw your feet back, he f–ing face planted Belal! And, then Belal got tired towards the end. If it was only a three round fight, he wasn’t on juice then, it was a different physique completely. After that, the down-block was enough! After the first few sprawls, the down-block was enough to push him off.”

That’s definitely some top-tier breakdown by Team JDM. Spotting Belal’s mistakes from his 2019 fight against Geoff Neal and applying them in 2025 is nothing short of impressive. Still, what caught everyone off guard was Ben Vickers publicly accusing the former 170-pound champ of PED use before the fight. It’s not the first time, though. Ahead of UFC 304, fighters like Colby Covington and Dillon Danis had already raised similar suspicions. However, to this day, Belal has yet to test positive. He was tested twice in 2025 and five times last year.

Now that this fight is done and dusted, Jack Della Maddalena’s next move seems all but set—likely a showdown with Islam Makhachev. But before that clash even begins to take shape, another one of ‘JDM’s coaches has stepped up to stir the pot, already firing shots at the Dagestani camp! 

Jack Della Maddalena’s coach Craig Jones trolls Dagestani Sambo

Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev has already earned the label of one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history, and the hype just keeps building. The reigning lightweight king from the mountains of Dagestan proudly represents his Sambo-based MMA style, backed by years of dominance. But things took a playful turn when Craig Jones, ‘JDM’s grappling coach, mockingly claimed that Sambo is just a similar version of Jiu-Jitsu.

Jones took the trolling up a notch with his latest Instagram reel. Rocking a pink Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi, he captioned the video: “The one thing every Russian man fears. Sambo is literally just 2 judo guys that decided to take their pants off to wrestle. Which I respect.” To top it off, he had Islam Makhachev’s entrance theme blasting in the background. 

Della Maddalena has just brought the belt Down Under, and the mind games are already in full swing! While the Aussie himself carries a calm and composed demeanor, his coaching staff knows exactly how to spice things up. So far, there’s been radio silence from the Dagestani camp, but knowing their style, they might just be waiting for the perfect moment to fire back.

With that being said, do you think Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev will turn bitter in the end? Also, let us know what you think about Coach Ben Vickers taking a dig at Belal Muhammad before the dust even settled. Drop your thoughts in the comment box below!