Jack Della Maddalena neutralised Belal Muhammad's wrestling skills, conceding only one takedown on his way to becoming the new welterweight champion in the main event of UFC 315 in Montreal.
Australia's Della Maddalena, 28, won the five-rounder by scores of 48-47, 48-47, 49-45. He used volume striking to frustrate the now-former welterweight champion, nearly finishing the bout on several occasions.
Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA) has now won 18 in a row. Muhammad (24-4, 1 NC) was making his first title defence and had won 11 consecutive fights.
Della Maddalena credited Muhammad's toughness but said post-fight that he knew he wasn't going to let it slip away.
“It felt good,” he said with a smile. “I knew I had to be smart. I knew I couldn’t spend too much time on my back.”
Della Maddalena said he's intrigued by UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev's possible move to welterweight and he's open to exacting revenge on the Russian. His fellow Australian, Alexander Volkanovski, lost twice previously to Makhachev.
It was a first loss for Muhammad, a Chicago native, since January 2019.
Meanwhile, Valentina Shevchenko successfully defended her UFC women's flyweight title in the co-main event over Manon Fiorot, winning a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) to hand Fiorot her first UFC loss.
Despite a closely contested bout, Shevchenko (25-4, 1 NC MMA) pushed the pace in rounds four and five to tire out Fiorot and give the Frenchwoman little room to work after signs of early success through three gruelling rounds.
“I expected a hard fight,” said Shevchenko, a 125-pounder from Kyrgyzstan.
“It's not just experience [that made the difference] but also brains. Every day practising: power, speed, strategy.”
The victory marked Shevchenko's 14th in the UFC, including 10 title fights.
Aldo retires after defeat to Zahabi
Initially scheduled as a bantamweight fight, Canadian featherweight Aiemann Zahabi earned a win by unanimous decision against former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, taking the three scorecards by matching 29-28 scores.
Aldo nearly finished Zahabi in Round 3 with a head kick, followed by a flurry of strikes. However, Zahabi was able to survive Aldo's attacks, gain the top position, and open a cut on Aldo.
The win for Zahabi (13-2 MMA) marked Brazilian Aldo's (32-10) final MMA fight, announcing his retirement in the Octagon.
“I just don't have it in my heart any more,” said Aldo, 38. “I think this is the last time you're going to see me.”
Women's flyweight Natalia Silva of Brazil knocked off former champion Alexa Grasso from her top contender status with a unanimous decision win, all by 30-27 scores.
Silva (19-5-1 MMA) has won her first six UFC fights, while Mexico's Grasso (16-5-1 MMA) has to return to the drawing board to remain in contention. Silva opened a noticeable cut above Grasso's eyelid, swinging the momentum in Round 2 before a one-sided Round 3 followed suit with dominant kickboxing ability.
Lightweight Benoit Saint-Denis of France had no trouble beating Canadian Kyle Prepolec, a late replacement, with an arm triangle choke at 2:35 of the second round.
It was Saint-Denis' (14-3) first win since November 2023, snapping a two-fight losing skid. Prepolec (18-9) stepped in for Joel Alvarez (22-3) and made his first Octagon appearance since 2019.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
The five pillars of Islam
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
More coverage from the Future Forum
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More on Quran memorisation:
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The%20specs
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SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
7.05pm Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm Underwriter
7.05pm Rayig
7.40pm Torno Subito
8.15pm Talento Puma
8.50pm Etisalat
9.25pm Gundogdu
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
