Robert Whittaker doesn’t know if Belal Muhammad had the very best recreation plan this weekend.
On Saturday, Muhammad misplaced his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena, dropping a unanimous choice to the Aussie in the principle occasion of UFC 315. It was an distinctive efficiency from “JDM,” who stifled most of Muhammad’s takedowns and picked him aside with energy photographs on the toes. It additionally made Della Maddalena the third Australian champion in UFC historical past behind Whittaker and Alexander Volkanovski, one thing Whittaker was fairly completely happy about.
“One other Australian champion!” Whittaker stated on his YouTube channel. “How good does it really feel to be an Aussie proper now? He simply caught to his weapons. He did all the things so nicely. I can’t be happier. I’m proud as punch proper now.”
However for as completely happy as Whittaker is with the outcome, the previous UFC middleweight champion can’t assist however surprise if Muhammad gave the very best account of himself on Saturday. Within the pre-fight buildup, Muhammad claimed he wouldn’t shoot as soon as on Della Maddalena, as an alternative vowing to showcase his “Canelo palms,” and whereas he did shoot 9 takedown makes an attempt, it was nonetheless not the identical targeted grappling assault that has turn out to be the hallmark of Muhammad’s model.
“I anticipated extra takedowns,” Whittaker stated. “Now, it’s straightforward for me to say on the surface. We will look in and say — I don’t know the way he was feeling or what occurred to him throughout the combat. I don’t know the way he felt. From the surface, within the third or fourth spherical, when he blended in his placing and his photographs, when he blended within the placing to convey Jack onto his photographs, they had been clear each time. I believe his solely two takedowns had been from the open mat, drawing Jack in type of factor.
“Why didn’t we see extra of that? I can’t assist however really feel like Belal was making an attempt to make a degree placing with Jack for the primary three rounds. And if that’s the case, that’s ridiculous. Jack is superb at that midrange boxing. …
“For my part, what introduced Belal to the title and made him champion was the truth that he might punch-punch-punch, shoot, punch-punch-punch. He’s not Gilbert Burns on the bottom. He’s not a man that when he will get you in your again he’s going to start out working tough submissions and also you’re in a really harmful spot. He’s that recreation, punch-punch, shoot, punch-punch, shoot. And we didn’t see that.”
In fact, Whittaker additionally permits that it might have been extra about Della Maddalena not permitting Muhammad to combat his model of combat.
“Now I may also take a look at it that Jack did such an excellent job dissuading Belal from the takedowns, in addition to retaining that distance,” Whittaker stated. “… I believe for the primary three rounds, whereas the fellows had been nonetheless comparatively contemporary, he was controlling middle ring so nicely. So nicely. He wasn’t letting Belal push him up in opposition to the fence. So was that as a result of Jack did his job so nicely, or was it as a result of Belal needed to strike with him, needed to check his mettle. Which I respect in some rock-and-stick manner, however it’s an uphill combat.”
After the win, Della Maddalena stated he’s open to a superfight with light-weight champion Islam Makhachev subsequent, one thing that UFC CEO Dana White hinted might occur earlier than the combat. And if that’s the case, Whittaker thinks “JDM” may not have as straightforward of a time as he did on Saturday.
“I’m curious. I’m very curious,” Whittaker stated. “I believe Islam Makhachev does all the things Belal does, however higher. To a a lot increased diploma. He does all the things a lot better. That’s, I assume, the million greenback query. Although, Volk landed photographs on Makhachev. If Volk can land photographs on Makhachev and harm Makhachev, Jack actually can as nicely, particularly as a result of he likes combating from an in depth vary. That additionally leaves him extra prone to takedowns. Makhachev’s takedown recreation is far increased than Belal’s. Not solely that, however his capacity to make the most of these positions Jack discovered himself in on this combat, he can make the most of these higher than Belal.
“What does that imply? I don’t know. [Laughs].”
