Belal Muhammad issues verdict on Jack Della Maddalena's demeanor during final UFC 315 staredown: "He's getting out of character"

Belal Muhammad recently stood across from Jack Della Maddalena for the first time before fight night at the UFC 315 press conference. And according to the reigning UFC welterweight champion, what he saw wasn’t confidence but desperation.

The usually calm and cold Della Maddalena allegedly showed too much fire during the faceoff, and Muhammad called it for what he believes was "out of character" for the Australian. Speaking about Della Maddalena's character in an interview with Aaron Bronsteter, Muhammad said:

"I could refake this, right? Like, don’t try to fake it into it. That’s what Leon [Edwards] tried to do the last [time], and I hurt him. I could read it. I could feel that he’s getting out of character. And then tomorrow night, he’s getting out of consciousness."

He added:

"I mean, if you want to promote the fight, say a few words, right? Talk a little bit more. But I just don’t think he’s good at it. A lot of guys don’t like to do it. He doesn’t seem like the guy that likes to do it. But don’t worry, you don’t have to do much after this."

Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below:

While Della Maddalena’s been the silent killer on a 7-0 UFC run, Muhammad thinks the Aussie’s late attempt at selling the fight feels forced. Muhammad also added that it would be an "honor" to have Georges St-Pierre wrap the belt around his waist if he defends the belt against Della Maddalena at UFC 315.

---

Jack Della Maddalena is ready to bring the fire against Belal Muhammad

After surviving back-to-back wars with Bassil Hafez and Kevin Holland, Jack Della Maddalena showed his championship mettle at UFC 299. Down on the scorecards against Gilbert Burns, he dug deep and delivered a dramatic late finish, and punched his way to a title shot.

Now, the Australian striker steps into another high-stakes bout against the champion Belal Muhammad. Unlike past fights where he leaned on patience, Della Maddalena plans to turn up the aggression.

Previewing the contest in an interview with the UFC, Della Maddalena said:

“I feel like I’ll just do what I do. I know I’ve got the skills to beat Belal. I’ll try not to be too calm. He’s going to be coming forward, so I want to meet him in there, meet fire with fire. I expect him to come forward, but he’s going to have to walk through the fire to take me down. I think I can do some good damage; think I can sting him. I think I can take him out before the final bell.” [H/t: ufc.com]