After defeating former welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 304, Belal Muhammad prepares for his first fight in nearly 10 months, defending his title against Jack Della Maddalena.
On May 10 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, the UFC prepares to feature one of the tightest cards betting wise that the sport has seen in quite some time, as both champions ready to defend their respective titles have odds of -188 or less to walk away with their belts in hand. Following his UFC 304 victory over Leon Edwards during July of 2024, Belal Muhammad now holds the UFC welterweight championship, but his first defense of the title has been delayed due to an injury sustained toward the end of last year.
In just over 24 hours, however, the 36-year-old welterweight champion will take on Jack Della Maddalena, holding -188 odds on bet365 to walk away from the fight with a firm grasp still held on the belt. Maddalena is listed at +162 to pull off the upset and become the new welterweight title holder, having entered the UFC during early 2022 and quickly racking up a perfect 7-0 record in the promotion. Unlike Muhammad, Maddalena is a true fight finisher, with five of his seven UFC wins coming by stoppage, while the champion has used the referee’s decision to find 12 of his 15 victories throughout his career.
Both Muhammad and Della Maddalena are well-rounded mixed martial artists, but in many ways, this fight can certainly be considered a grappler versus striker contest, set to intrigue numerous fans across the sport. Despite Maddalena shooting up the welterweight rankings with wins over several elite division foes including Kevin Holland, Gilbert Burns and Randy Brown, he has yet to face someone of Muhammad’s caliber, who has not lost in the octagon since 2019.
The championship bout is likely to be extremely competitive, as both fighters feature their respective unique skills, and whoever manages to follow their game plan better may come out with their hand raised and a belt around their waist. With the dominance Muhammad has displayed over the course of the past six years and the relative inexperience Madallena still has in title fights, it is likely the champion successfully defends his belt on May 10, even if the challenger lands a few shots in the process.
In the additional title fight being featured for Montreal UFC fans, women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will take on Manon Fiorot as a +110 underdog on bet365 as compared to the challenger who has odds of -138 to claim her first title in the promotion. Compiling a 12-1 record against Shevchenko’s 24-4-1, Fiorot is coming off a victory against Erin Blanchfield which helped to solidify her status as a top flyweight challenger in the UFC and earn an opportunity on May 10. It is still surprising to see Shevchenko doubted by operators such as bet365, however, given that she has become one of the most dominant female fighters in recent history, if not all time.
Shevchenko has won 10 of her last 12 bouts and most recently secured a dominant win over her rival, Alexa Grasso, at UFC 306 during the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event in September 2024. The title holder will most likely maintain distance using her elite kickboxing on the feet while securing the occasional takedown to score yet another dominant decision victory, perhaps cashing in on valuable +110 odds for bettors while doing so. At -138, Fiorot could definitely pull off the upset given bet365’s confidence in the 35-year-old fighter, but until Shevchenko is defeated in the octagon once again, it remains too difficult to bet against the champion.
Hall-of-Fame fighter Jose Aldo is also set for a UFC return this weekend as the former WEC and UFC featherweight champion has shown new life since moving down to bantamweight and remains steadfast in his goal to capture another championship. Aldo will be facing another skilled striker in Aiemann Zahabi on May 10, who has compiled a record of 12-2-0 while the Brazilian stands at 32-9-0.
Historically speaking, Aldo tends to thrive against kickboxers, and will look to use his experience and power in this fight to unload with punches and leg kicks to score either a late stoppage or a clear decision win, sitting with moneyline odds of -188 to do so on bet365. With underdog odds of +162, Zahabi will have to be up to the challenge against one of UFC’s most acclaimed fighters, and a competitor in Aldo who has found new life since making the switch to bantamweight.
