Jack Della Maddalena shocked the mixed martial arts world on Saturday night by defeating Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision to capture the UFC welterweight championship at UFC 315 in Montreal. In a five-round battle at the Bell Centre, the Australian fighter earned judges’ scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-45, denying Muhammad’s first title defense and ending the Chicago native’s 11-fight win streak.
Della Maddalena’s strategic approach neutralized Muhammad’s renowned wrestling, allowing only one takedown and pushing the pace with relentless striking. The victory extended Della Maddalena’s win streak to 18, improving his professional record to 18-2. Speaking after the bout, he praised Muhammad’s resilience but made it clear he was never going to let the opportunity slip. He also hinted at future ambitions, expressing interest in facing UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev if the Russian moves up in weight.
In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko retained her UFC women’s flyweight title with a razor-thin unanimous decision win over Manon Fiorot. All three judges scored the contest 48-47 in favour of Shevchenko, who surged in the championship rounds to hand Fiorot her first UFC defeat.
Canadian Aiemann Zahabi secured a major victory in front of the home crowd by outpointing UFC legend Jose Aldo in a three-round bantamweight bout. All judges scored the fight 29-28 for Zahabi, who withstood a dangerous third-round onslaught from Aldo to turn the tide and open a cut that sealed the win. Aldo, a former featherweight champion, officially announced his retirement following the bout, saying he no longer had the drive to compete.
Elsewhere on the card, Brazilian flyweight Natalia Silva dominated former champion Alexa Grasso with a flawless performance, winning all three rounds on the scorecards. Silva, now 6-0 in the UFC, showcased clinical kickboxing and inflicted significant damage to Grasso’s face, notably above the eyelid.
In lightweight action, France’s Benoit Saint-Denis returned to the win column by submitting Canada’s Kyle Prepolec with an arm-triangle choke in the second round. Prepolec, a late replacement for Joel Alvarez, was unable to mount a significant challenge in his first UFC appearance since 2019.
UFC 315 delivered a night of high-stakes upsets, emotional farewells, and championship drama that reshaped the landscape of several divisions.
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