Della Maddalena edges Holland in key battle of welterweights

Jack Della Maddalena continued his rise in the UFC welterweight division Saturday night, getting his hand raised in a highly anticipated matchup against Kevin Holland.

Della Maddalena, the No. 14-ranked contender, defeated Holland via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) in the Noche UFC co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

It was a tightly contested matchup over 15 minutes, but Della Maddalena got the best of Holland in the striking department. He landed crisp combinations and backed Holland up against the fence to secure the biggest win of his budding UFC career.

The Perth, Australia, native is now tied with Ian Machado Garry for longest active winning streak in the welterweight division (six), according to MMA stats analyst Michael Carroll.

With the victory, Della Maddalena now sits at 6-0 in the UFC. This was his second straight split-decision victory after beginning his Octagon stint with four straight first-round finishes. Della Maddalena eked out a win over Bassil Hafez on July 15.

Holland, who was ranked No. 13 in the 170-pound division heading into Saturday's clash, was riding a two-fight winning streak with stoppage wins over Michael Chiesa and Santiago Ponzinibbio. Holland had last competed on July 29.