Belal Muhammad was unable to defend the welterweight title Saturday at UFC 315, losing a Fight of the Night to Jack Della Maddalena in Montreal.
The now-former champion was on the verge of winning a split decision before an impressive final round performance from the new champ tilted the outcome.
Muhammad became the UFC’s 170-pound champion at UFC 304 when he dominated Leon Edwards in their main event bout last July.
The 36-year-old had an 11-fight unbeaten streak — dating back to 2019 — snapped by Della Maddalena, and Muhammad released a statement Sunday reacting to the result.
Muhammad’s post garnered some attention from his peers, including reigning UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, who replied: "You are a great fighter respect Belal."
Canadian bantamweight contender Aiemann Zahabi, who thrilled his hometown crowd earlier on the UFC 315 main card with a win over Jose Aldo, added: “You’re still an incredible fighter.”
Muhammad is now 15-4 with one no-contest in the UFC, with notable victories over current No. 1-ranked contender Sean Brady, plus past title contenders Gilbert Burns, Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia.
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