Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena's Next Best Fights After UFC 315 Results

The UFC welterweight division has a new champion once again, as Jack Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision to claim the title in the main event of UFC 315 on Saturday.

The victory extends Della Maddalena's win streak to 18 straight fights and creates new intrigue for the 170-pound division.

Muhammad was fighting for the first time since defeating Leon Edwards to win the welterweight championship last July, and his reign ended without a successful title defense.

With a new title reign set to begin at welterweight, let's take a look at what's next for both main eventers.

Muhammad's Next Best Fights

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

• Leon Edwards
• Kamaru Usman
• Colby Covington

A win for Muhammad likely would've set up a fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov, who earned a title shot with a win over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310 in December but was unavailable for UFC 315 due to injury.

Instead, Muhammad is looking at a crop of fighters who are also coming off losses. While that sounds a bit pessimistic, he has a slew of rivals who would create some intriguing matchups.

The most obvious choice for Muhammad would be a rematch against Edwards. The two of them have a storied history after their first fight ended in a no contest due to eye pokes, though it clearly looked like Edwards was on his way to victory. In their second fight last July, Muhammad dominated Edwards on his way to a unanimous decision win to earn the UFC welterweight title.

Edwards suffered another disappointing loss in March against Sean Brady, so there aren't many who are clamoring to see him in a big fight. Still, it would be fun to see him and Muhammad settle their rivalry with another showdown in the Octagon.

Another former UFC welterweight champion has become a budding rival for Muhammad, as he and Kamaru Usman recently got into a testy exchange during a podcast.

Usman hasn't fought since October 2023 while nursing multiple injuries, but he's still considered one of the UFC's best welterweights of all time. Facing Muhammad in his return fight could be enough to get him back into the title picture.

Lastly, Colby Covington has been going out of his way to insert himself into fight conversations. He even hid Muhammad's meals at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas this week, which didn't make much sense considering that Muhammad was in Montreal for UFC 315.

Despite Covington's career being on the downturn, he's still a big enough name for Muhammad to face if he wants to stay in title contention. Both of them are high-level grapplers who would create an interesting matchup.

Della Maddalena's Next Best Fights

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Sean Brady

Shavkat Rakhmonov

Ian Machado Garry

Della Maddalena's win brings more of a shakeup to a welterweight division that is already in flux.

While Shavkat Rakhmonov earned a title shot by defeating Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310 in December, his absence from UFC 315 due to injury and his inactivity allowed Sean Brady to jump him for the No. 1 spot in the UFC's welterweight rankings. Brady defeated Leon Edwards by fourth-round submission in March, and his impressive win was enough for him to vault into title contention.

Brady is a well-rounded fighter with high-level grappling and powerful striking abilities. He and Della Maddalena have similar skillsets and would make for an interesting matchup.

However, Rakhmonov remains the Boogeyman of the welterweight division and should be in line for a title shot whenever he's recovered from his injury. He has an undefeated record of 19-0 with a whopping 18 finishes, 10 by submission and eight by knockout. His dangerous style would pose significant problems for Della Maddalena, making him an incredibly tough opponent for his first title defense.

While somewhat unlikely following his loss to Rakhmonov, Machado Garry is a popular fighter who can talk his way into a title shot. The Irishman bounced back from his first career loss by defeating Carlos Prates by unanimous decision last month, showcasing his strong striking skills with an incredible level of volume.

It would likely require both Brady and Rakhmonov to be unavailable for Machado Garry to earn a title shot, but the 27-year-old is one of the UFC's top young stars. Della Maddalena surely would welcome the opportunity for a big-money fight against Machado Garry down the line.