The UFC returns to Canadian soil tonight with a compelling pay-per-view card headlined by welterweight champion Belal Muhammad's first title defense against dangerous knockout artist Jack Della Maddalena.
Muhammad, 36, shocked the MMA world when he dethroned Leon Edwards in Manchester last year to claim the 170-pound crown. Originally scheduled to face Shavkat Rakhmonov, 'Remember the Name' now finds himself matched against perhaps the division's most feared striker after Rakhmonov was declared unfit to compete.
Della Maddalena enters this championship opportunity in devastating form, having remained undefeated since 2016. The 28-year-old Australian has torn through UFC competition since signing with the promotion, collecting impressive victories over Danny Roberts, Randy Brown, Kevin Holland, and most recently, Gilbert Burns. His knockout power could prove problematic for the typically methodical Muhammad.
The co-main event features Valentina Shevchenko beginning her second reign as women's flyweight champion. 'Bullet' recaptured her throne by defeating Alexa Grasso in their most recent meeting and looks to cement her legacy as one of the sport's greatest female competitors. Standing in her path is undefeated UFC prospect Manon Fiorot, who earned this title shot after an impressive victory over Erin Blanchfield last year.
According to Statbet's fight analytics, Muhammad enters tonight's bout with a significant experience advantage in five-round contests, having gone the championship distance multiple times during his UFC career.
Fans will also witness the continuing comeback of featherweight legend Jose Aldo. After briefly stepping away from competition following a loss to Merab Dvalishvili three years ago, the former champion returned with a victory over Jonathan Martinez before narrowly falling to Mario Bautista. Tonight, he faces rising contender Aiemann Zahabi, who hasn't tasted defeat in over five years.
Former women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso begins her quest to reclaim gold as she returns to action. The 31-year-old Mexican star stunned the MMA world in 2023 when she submitted Shevchenko to capture the title. After fighting to a split draw in their immediate rematch, Grasso surrendered the belt back to Shevchenko last September. Her comeback starts against Natalia Silva, who carries an impressive unbeaten streak dating back to 2017.
Rounding out the main card, Benoit Saint-Denis faces late replacement Kyle Prepolec in a lightweight contest. Saint-Denis seeks to rebound from consecutive losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, while Prepolec steps in for the injured Joel Alvarez on short notice, making his second UFC debut.
The action begins with a stacked preliminary card featuring Mike Malott vs. Charles Radtke, Jessica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius, and several other compelling matchups to set the stage for what promises to be an explosive night of championship-level mixed martial arts.
