Jack Della Maddalena became the new UFC welterweight champion after securing a sensational victory on May 10. Previously considered just a “dark horse” in the division, he proved otherwise after UFC 315.
In the main event, Della Maddalena confidently defeated Belal Muhammad, showcasing the best performance of his career and extending his unbeaten streak in the UFC to eight fights.
Many experts criticized Muhammad`s strategy, as he failed to utilize his grappling potential despite the expected advantage in that area.
Now, with Della Maddalena eyeing a fight with Islam Makhachev, he has been included in the official UFC pound-for-pound rankings for the first time.
Jack Della Maddalena ranks higher than Alexandre Pantoja and Tom Aspinall in pound-for-pound rankings
Jack Della Maddalena`s debut in the P4P rankings at #9 means he has surpassed many well-known fighters and even current UFC champions, including flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
Furthermore, he is ranked higher than fighters like Max Holloway, Belal Muhammad, Sean O`Malley, and Charles Oliveira.
The Aussie announced his arrival in the promotion with four consecutive first-round finishes before securing two split decisions. Della Maddalena`s win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 299 cemented him as a title contender, despite raising some questions after he rallied for a come-from-behind victory.
He was able to answer a lot of those doubts with his performance at the Bell Center in Montreal where ‘JDM’ dethroned Belal Muhammad in his first title defense.
Arman Tsarukyan dropped out of the top 15 following the recent updates, while Alexander Volkanovski, Della Maddalena`s teammate, moved up two spots.
Many fans specifically reacted to Della Maddalena overtaking Pantoja, noting that the flyweight champion has successfully defended his title three times and hasn`t lost since July 2020. Daniel Cormier recently included both Pantoja and Della Maddalena on his list of the top five most underrated fighters on the roster.
More UFC 315 rankings updates see Jose Aldo depart with a new number one contender at flyweight
Ranking changes after UFC 315 also affected other divisions. Aiemann Zahabi`s controversial win over Jose Aldo saw Zahabi climb four spots to #11 in the bantamweight division, while the legendary Aldo departed the top 15 following his retirement.
The most significant movement occurred in the women`s flyweight division, where Valentina Shevchenko defeated Manon Fiorot to retain her position at the very top. Two other strong performances at 125 pounds on May 10 saw Natalia Silva and Jasmine Jasudavicius earn victories over former champions.
Following her win, Natalia Silva is now ranked as the #1 contender in the division, with Jasmine Jasudavicius climbing three spots to #6.
