It began with an announcement that promised fireworks: Jack Della Maddalena versus Belal Muhammad for the welterweight crown at UFC 315. A clash that pits high-octane striking against relentless grappling, the kind of stylistic contrast that makes legends—and headlines. Yet beyond the sanctioned violence awaiting inside the Octagon, another storm was gathering. And orchestrating it with precision? Craig Jones—the two-time ADCC silver medalist and master of jiu-jitsu mischief.
This time, however, Jones wasn’t merely tightening arm triangles or plotting heel hooks. He was weaving chaos with a smirk and a sharp tongue, turning social media into his personal playground. When the welterweight champion Belal Muhammad fired a jab comparing a future post-fight scenario to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s infamous UFC 229 leap, Craig Jones answered with cold, calculated wit—dragging even Khabib back into the fray.
Craig Jones working with Jack Della Maddalena ahead of his fight with Belal Muhammad pic.twitter.com/X3Jmj0Krhh
— BJJotter (@JiujitsuOtter) April 21, 2025
The beef started when Jones posted a clip of him drilling with Della Maddalena, captioned cheekily, “On a mission from God to save the welterweight division from Belal Muhammad.” It was classic Jones: biting, irreverent, and impossible to ignore. Then Jones (as usual) took things to the next level when he shared a video of Muhammad’s face pasted onto a punching machine, encouraging Della Maddalena to unleash fury. A carnival of mockery, but Muhammad wasn’t about to be a silent target.
Belal responded with venom of his own: “I’m gonna do you like Khabib did Danis after the fight,” invoking the chaos of UFC 229 when Khabib vaulted into infamy. But Craig Jones had his retort locked and loaded, dismissing the threat with an Instagram barb: “Man’s going to jump the fence and decision me.” In a single stroke, Jones flipped Muhammad’s threat into a cutting satire of his grinding, methodical fight style.
Belal Muhammad issues a threat to Craig Jones 👀 pic.twitter.com/XqXIsfIxfJ
— BJJotter (@JiujitsuOtter) April 26, 2025
Yet behind the smoke and memes, there lies a steel bond. Muhammad has earned the highest praise from none other than Khabib himself. Khabib said that Muhammad’s cardio is unparalleled in the UFC.
“His endurance is exceptional. In fact, I think it’s one of the most underrated aspects of MMA today. Belal’s cardio is the best in this division, and maybe even in all of the UFC,” Nurmagomedov said.
As UFC 315 approaches, the battleground is set. In one corner stands Belal Muhammad, fortified by discipline and the blessing of a legend. In the other, Jack Della Maddalena, flanked by the jester-turned-general Craig Jones, whose provocations have set the pre-fight atmosphere crackling with tension.
