MONTREAL — In a thrilling main event at UFC 315, Jack Della Maddalena claimed the welterweight championship by defeating Belal Muhammad through a unanimous decision on Saturday night. The victory, with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, marked Madallena’s 18th consecutive win, enhancing his impressive fighting streak to 18-2-0. The bout ended Muhammad’s remarkable run of 11 victories that dated back to January 2019. “He brings the pressure, you know, I knew I had to be smart,” commented Della Maddalena, reflecting on the match.
In the night’s co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko, the two-time UFC flyweight champion, successfully defended her title against France’s number 2 ranked contender, Manon Fiorot. The judges delivered a score of 48-47 across the board in favor of Shevchenko. At 37, the fighter from Kyrgyzstan emphasized her confidence and drive. “I was expecting a hard fight, she’s a good fighter,” she noted. “I’m going to keep going. Numbers are nothing. What is more important is how you feel physically, mentally, how you perform.”
A shock came in the featherweight division, where Aiemann Zahabi clinched a victory over UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo on the main card. In a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Zahabi extended his winning streak to six. The fight, initially slated for the bantamweight division, was moved to featherweight after both fighters exceeded the specified weight. Following the bout, Aldo (32-10) from Brazil announced his retirement, bringing a 21-year illustrious MMA career to a close. “I don’t think I have it in me anymore,” Aldo expressed with help from a translator.
This UFC event marked Canada’s first since Donald Trump’s re-election as U.S. president, a period marked by heightened political strain between the neighboring nations. Trump has persistently hinted that Canada should consider joining the United States as the 51st state, aggravating political rhetoric on both sides.
Displaying national pride, Canadian fighter Mike Malott (12-2-1) swiftly dispatched American Charles Radtke (10-5) with a knockout only 26 seconds into the second round of their welterweight clash. A precise left hook from Malott floored Radtke, followed by relentless strikes securing the victory. This fight was notably tense as Radtke previously made comments against Canadian spectators, reacting to the booing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Canadian events. Radtke warned, “When you all boo the national anthem, somebody’s gonna have to pay for that.”
The women’s flyweight competition saw Canadian Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-3) winning by submission against Brazilian Jessia Andrade (26-14) just over halfway into the first round. Jasudivicius relished the victory, revealing, “When I was preparing for this fight, I kept on thinking about it being a quick finish. I kept on telling myself to be ready for 15 hard minutes and everything.”
In another highlight, Marc-Andre Barriault (17-9) conquered Bruno Silva (23-13) with a knockout via a powerful elbow strike to Silva’s head, just 1:27 into their opening round middleweight bout. Silva was subsequently stretchered out of the octagon.
The event opened with Benoit Saint Denis (14-3) achieving victory against Kyle Prepolec (12-8) through a submission. Exploiting an arm-triangle choke midway through the second round, Saint Denis outmaneuvered the Canadian. Prepolec had learned of his participation only two weeks earlier as a replacement for Joel Alvarez, who sustained a hand injury.