Robert Whittaker doesn’t know if Belal Muhammad had the most effective recreation plan this weekend.
On Saturday, Muhammad misplaced his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena, dropping a unanimous resolution to the Aussie in the primary 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 ft. It additionally made Della Maddalena the third Australian champion in UFC historical past behind Whittaker and Alexander Volkanovski, one thing Whittaker was fairly completely satisfied about.
“One other Australian champion!” Whittaker mentioned 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 satisfied as Whittaker is with the end result, the previous UFC middleweight champion can’t assist however marvel if Muhammad gave the most effective account of himself on Saturday. Within the pre-fight buildup, Muhammad claimed he wouldn’t shoot as soon as on Della Maddalena, as a substitute 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 into the hallmark of Muhammad’s model.
“I anticipated extra takedowns,” Whittaker mentioned. “Now, it’s straightforward for me to say on the skin. We will look in and say — I don’t understand how he was feeling or what occurred to him through the combat. I don’t understand how he felt. From the skin, within the third or fourth spherical, when he combined in his hanging and his photographs, when he combined within the hanging to deliver Jack onto his photographs, they had been clear each time. I feel 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 attempting to make some extent hanging 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 difficult 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 also can have a look at it that Jack did such a superb job dissuading Belal from the takedowns, in addition to holding that distance,” Whittaker mentioned. “… I feel for the primary three rounds, whereas the blokes had been nonetheless comparatively recent, 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 wished to strike with him, wished to check his mettle. Which I respect in some rock-and-stick method, nevertheless it’s an uphill combat.”
After the win, Della Maddalena mentioned 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” won’t have as straightforward of a time as he did on Saturday.
“I’m curious. I’m very curious,” Whittaker mentioned. “I feel Islam Makhachev does all the things Belal does, however higher. To a a lot larger 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 definitely can as nicely, particularly as a result of he likes preventing from an in depth vary. That additionally leaves him extra vulnerable to takedowns. Makhachev’s takedown recreation is far larger 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].”
