UFC 315 is around the corner as Belal Muhammad will engage in his first title defense this weekend. Originally planned to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov, ‘Remember the Name’ got paired up with Aussie star Jack Della Maddalena, who’s making his return after more than a year on the shelf. Muhammad is well aware of the fact that the 17-2 welterweight contender hasn’t been as active as Rakhmonov, which could give him an edge this weekend.

However, it would be premature to make such assumptions about the fight, given that both fighters are world-class athletes at what they do. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at the preview of the UFC 315 headliner between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena, starting with their statistics and MMA record so far.

UFC 315: Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena stats

Stat-wise, Belal has more experience than Jack Della Maddalena, with 28 and 19 fights, respectively, under their belt. When it comes to win percentage, the Australian fighter takes the front seat here as he’s got a 17-2 record compared to the champion’s 24-3-1 record. But how have they won their fights? Well, it’s pretty well known that Muhammad has more decision wins than finishes—18 out of 24 wins. But Maddalena is a finishing machine.

The Perth native has registered 14 finishes so far, as Belal Muhammad only has 6 as his career total. So, despite his grappling prowess, the welterweight champion hasn’t really been able to earn submissions like most wrestling-heavy fighters do, registering only 1 win by submission in his career. Even there, Maddalena has more submission wins than Muhammad, clocking in 2 in his 19-fight career.

Both Maddalena and Muhammad stand at 5’11”, but the Australian star has a 1-inch reach advantage—72 inches for Belal and 73 inches for Jack. Meanwhile, in the weight aspect, the champion has often entered the cage weighing around 180-190 pounds on fight night, although he weighs in at 170 pounds. Similarly, Jack Della Maddalena could walking into the fight at the same weight when he comes out to face Belal this weekend.

Now, the stats are out of the way, and we have an idea as to how the fighters have fared in their careers so far. But now comes the time for a prediction, and for that, let’s break down their fighting styles and approach to their fights. Here’s what we know.

Muhammad vs. Maddalena breakdown and prediction

While Belal Muhammad’s on an incredible 10-fight win streak, Jack Della Maddalena has yet to taste defeat in the UFC. Maybe that’s why Dana White handed him a title shot despite a year-long hiatus. Coming to the fight analysis, the Australian star is a pretty aggressive forward-presser when it comes to his striking game, so he’s probably going to get Muhammad into a striking exchange when the fight goes underway.

Maddalena is known for being one of the best boxers, who mixes toughness, durability with heavy hands to show. But Belal Muhammad is pretty underrated, given how he handled Leon Edwards in his title-winning performance at UFC 304. As we’ve mentioned, Jack Della Maddalena will try to play things to his strength, on the feet, and maintain a considerable distance, which could plant seeds of frustration in Muhammad.

In a bit of desperation, we might even see Belal Muhammad shooting takedowns, which is something the Australian star will definitely anticipate. However, the champion has shown his intelligence when it comes to a forward-heavy, pressure-style game plan. Muhammad will certainly try to negate Maddalena’s distance management tactics, and that’s when his cardio will come into play. He will look to employ not just his wrestling but also his striking, which has been refined over the years.

The oddsmakers have Belal Muhammad as the favorite and Jack Della Maddalena as the underdog, and they may not be wrong because there is a chance that this fight goes the distance in favor of ‘Remember the Name’. This is especially due to the champ’s iron-clad determination and willpower. Let us know what you think in the comments down below.