Surprise in Canada: Whirlwind overthrows UFC "bore" and spoils fans' mega-fight

The UFC welterweight title is on the line. Jack Della Maddalena challenges champion Belal Muhammad. The otherwise dull fighter has many fans on his side for the first time, as a win would make a dream fight possible – but things turn out differently.

At UFC 315 in Montreal, Canada, one of the most unpopular fighters in the largest MMA organization lost his welterweight title fight. Fans are viewing the outcome with mixed feelings, as the challenger's victory has nullified a dream fight many had been looking forward to.

Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad is anything but a fan favorite, even though he's unbeaten in eleven fights. His fighting style has been unspectacular in the past, but effective. He's often been called a bore. When it comes to heating up fights, he tries to be funny and loud, but it often seems forced or doesn't work. Muhammad somehow always manages to circumvent the particularly strong opponents in his weight class, and so he faced the number five ranked boxer, Jack Della Maddalena, in his title fight.

However, the challenger from Australia is not without threat. The 28-year-old has been undefeated for 17 fights and nine years and is known for his strong boxing. However, Della Maddalena has often struggled with the wrestling-heavy fighting style, which Muhammad also uses.

Della Maddalena exerted considerable pressure in the opening rounds, combining punch combinations with kicks to the body and head. However, the champion's defense prevented more powerful strikes. Muhammad repeatedly succeeded with counterattacks. However, he was unable to utilize his greatest strength, his grappling, in the first three rounds.

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In the fourth round, the champion had better moments. Muhammad was able to pin the challenger to the cage several times and land some solid strikes. He shook Della Maddalena up with a head kick before returning to grappling against the cage fence. In the fifth round, the champion even managed two takedowns, but Della Maddalena slithered back to her feet twice and landed some great combinations while standing.

The judges awarded the Australian a narrow decision victory, paving the way for the next fight. Islam Makhachev, currently the best MMA fighter in the world and lightweight champion, will be looking to win his second belt against the Australian. Had Muhammad won, this fight would not have happened, as he is friends with Makhachev. Instead, fans would have seen featherweight champion Ilia Topuria take on the Russian at lightweight—an option favored by fans due to the Spaniard's explosive fighting. Topuria is now expected to face Brazilian Charles Oliveira.