Belal Muhammad issues statement on UFC 315 title fight announcement against Jack Della Maddalena, drags former rival Leon Edwards through the mud

Belal Muhammad recently reacted to the announcement of his first title defense. On Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana White revealed that reigning welterweight champion Muhammad is set to defend his title against a surprising challenger, Jack Della Maddalena, in the main event of UFC 315. The showdown will take place on May 10 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

'Remember the Name' took to X to respond to his upcoming title fight against Della Maddalena, referencing his striking coach Horacio Gutierrez’s past comparison of him to Mexican boxing star Canelo Alvarez. He wrote:

"Canelo hands are activated."

Credits: @bullyb170 on X.

Muhammad was initially expected to face Shavkat Rakhmonov next. However, the undefeated contender was sidelined due to injury, forcing the UFC to adjust its plans. As a result, the promotion elevated Della Maddalena to the championship bout, removing him from his originally scheduled main event against former champion Leon Edwards at UFC London.

The former UFC 170-pound champion is now set to face Sean Brady on March 22 as a replacement matchup.

Muhammad, who captured the welterweight title by dethroning Edwards with a dominant unanimous decision victory at UFC 304 in July 2024, also took a jab at 'Rocky' following the latest change in fight bookings. He wrote:

"Dang, I stole Leon’s belt and his opponent."

Check out Belal Muhammad's post below:

Credits: @bullyb170 on X.

'Remember the Name' is currently riding an 11-fight unbeaten streak, featuring victories over former title challengers such as Gilbert Burns, Stephen Thompson, and Demian Maia. The 36-year-old Chicago native last tasted defeat in January 2019, when he fell to Geoff Neal via unanimous decision.

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What led to the cancellation of Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310?

Belal Muhammad was originally set to defend his welterweight title for the first time against Shavkat Rakhmonov in the main event of UFC 310 last December. However, just over a month before the fight, 'Remember the Name' was forced to withdraw due to a bone infection in his foot.

Consequently, 'Nomad' was matched up against Ian Machado Garry in the co-main event of UFC 310 for a title eliminator bout, where he secured a hard-fought unanimous decision victory.