‘I’m the best boxer’ – Belal Muhammad sends Canelo Alvarez threat to Jack Della Maddalena ahead of UFC 315
Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad wants to prove he can box like Canelo Alvarez at UFC 315. Muhammad defends his title for the first time this weekend in Montreal, Canada, against Jack Della Maddalena. Muhammad won his title by defeating a sluggish Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in July 2024Getty The pair will lock horns at the top of a bill that also features another title scrap as women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko takes on Manon Fiorot in the co-main event. Muhammad made his UFC debut in July 2016 and is known for his never ending cardio and non-stop pressure in fights. However, he’s also built up a reputation for not being able to get the finish, given just three of his 15 UFC victories have come from a stoppage, one of them ending via submission. ‘Remember The Name’ won the welterweight title in a convincing, yet dull victory over Leon Edwards last July in Manchester. Ahead of his first defence of the belt, Muhammad told MMA Fighting that showing off his hands is at the top of the list for his performance at UFC 315. “For myself, especially these last couple of fights, I’ve been using my hands a lot,” he said. “I’ve been using the Canelo boxing. I want to put it to the test. I want to put it to the test and have that moment where I go, ‘That’s why I’m the best boxer in the UFC. That’s why I’m the best boxer in the welterweight division.’ “All these people are going to keep hating, they’re going to keep wondering how we keep doing it. “But we just keep growing and we keep getting better.” Muhammad has previously compared himself to Canelo and asserted that he will display his new and improved boxing skills in previous fights, but is yet to deliver. Muhammad said he’s the best boxer in the UFC and compares his hands to CaneloGetty Della Maddalena has the chance to become the first ever Australian to win the welterweight title at UFC 315Getty Canelo is arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer right now, having held various world titles across four weight divisions. Muhammad’s opponent, Della Maddalena, is a knockout artist who has stopped five of his eight UFC victories by knockout. However, Muhammad believes his Australian opponent is limited to just that one skill, whereas he believes there are numerous ways he can get his hand raised at UFC 315. “Whenever you go into a fight, you obviously look up the opponent’s weaknesses,” he added. “I try to manage that and strategise towards that. So for me, I could beat him in many different ways. “I could outstrike him if I wanted to. I could out kickbox him if I want to or I could outwrestle him if I want to. I know I have all these different paths to victory. Canelo has held multiple world titles in four weight classesGetty Muhammad has vowed to show off his boxing skills in the main event of UFC 315Getty “For him, he can only win one way. One specific way and that would be by knockout. He’s not going to outlast me. He’s not going to outwork me. He’s not going to outmuscle me. He’s not going to outgrapple me. “So that’s why I always strive to be the best version of myself. I don’t really like to focus on him, more so I like to [think] what did we do last fight? “Let’s grow on that. Let’s get better at that and let’s just show a different version of ourselves. So for this fight, that’s what I plan on doing.” Della Maddalena is on an incredible MMA winning run, having not lost a fight since 2016, with seven consecutive UFC wins to his name too. He has the chance to become the first ever Australian to win the UFC welterweight belt at UFC 315. The preliminary action is set to get going at around 10:30pm UK time, with the main card getting started at 3am on Sunday morning.
Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad wants to prove he can box like Canelo Alvarez at UFC 315.
Muhammad defends his title for the first time this weekend in Montreal, Canada, against Jack Della Maddalena.
The pair will lock horns at the top of a bill that also features another title scrap as women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko takes on Manon Fiorot in the co-main event.
Muhammad made his UFC debut in July 2016 and is known for his never ending cardio and non-stop pressure in fights.
However, he’s also built up a reputation for not being able to get the finish, given just three of his 15 UFC victories have come from a stoppage, one of them ending via submission.
‘Remember The Name’ won the welterweight title in a convincing, yet dull victory over Leon Edwards last July in Manchester.
Ahead of his first defence of the belt, Muhammad told MMA Fighting that showing off his hands is at the top of the list for his performance at UFC 315.
“For myself, especially these last couple of fights, I’ve been using my hands a lot,” he said.
“I’ve been using the Canelo boxing. I want to put it to the test. I want to put it to the test and have that moment where I go, ‘That’s why I’m the best boxer in the UFC. That’s why I’m the best boxer in the welterweight division.’
“All these people are going to keep hating, they’re going to keep wondering how we keep doing it.
“But we just keep growing and we keep getting better.”
Muhammad has previously compared himself to Canelo and asserted that he will display his new and improved boxing skills in previous fights, but is yet to deliver.
Canelo is arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer right now, having held various world titles across four weight divisions.
Muhammad’s opponent, Della Maddalena, is a knockout artist who has stopped five of his eight UFC victories by knockout.
However, Muhammad believes his Australian opponent is limited to just that one skill, whereas he believes there are numerous ways he can get his hand raised at UFC 315.
“Whenever you go into a fight, you obviously look up the opponent’s weaknesses,” he added.
“I try to manage that and strategise towards that. So for me, I could beat him in many different ways.
“I could outstrike him if I wanted to. I could out kickbox him if I want to or I could outwrestle him if I want to. I know I have all these different paths to victory.
“For him, he can only win one way. One specific way and that would be by knockout. He’s not going to outlast me. He’s not going to outwork me. He’s not going to outmuscle me. He’s not going to outgrapple me.
“So that’s why I always strive to be the best version of myself. I don’t really like to focus on him, more so I like to [think] what did we do last fight?
“Let’s grow on that. Let’s get better at that and let’s just show a different version of ourselves. So for this fight, that’s what I plan on doing.”
Della Maddalena is on an incredible MMA winning run, having not lost a fight since 2016, with seven consecutive UFC wins to his name too.
He has the chance to become the first ever Australian to win the UFC welterweight belt at UFC 315.
The preliminary action is set to get going at around 10:30pm UK time, with the main card getting started at 3am on Sunday morning.
