Della Maddalena wrests welterweight championship from Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.

MONTREAL (AP) — Jack Della Maddalena beat Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision to wrest away the welterweight championship in the main event at UFC 315 on Saturday night.

Della Maddalena (18-2-0) extended his fight win streak to 18 in a row with a 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 decision.

The loss ended Muhammad's 11-fight streak dating to January 2019.

“He brings the pressure, you know, I knew I had to be smart,” the Australian said.

In the co-main event, two-time UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1) defended her belt against No. 2 ranked contender Manon Fiorot (12-2) of France.

All three judges scored it 48-47.

“I was expecting a hard fight, she’s a good fighter,” said the 37-year-old from Kyrgyzstan. “I’m going to keep going. Numbers is nothing. What is more important is how you feel physically, mentally, how you perform.”

Aiemann Zahabi shocked UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo in a featherweight main card fight, after which Aldo announced his retirement.

Zahabi (13-2) won by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) and the Canadian has now won six straight fights.

The fight was originally scheduled to be disputed at the bantamweight division, but was changed to featherweight on Friday after both fighters checked in above the weight limit.

Aldo (32-10), of Brazil, announced his retirement from MMA fighting after a 21-year career.

"I don’t think I have it in me anymore,” Aldo said through a translator.

Saturday’s card was the first in Canada since Donald Trump was re-elected U.S. president in November. It comes amid growing political tensions between Canada and the United States, as Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, and some of that tension spilled over.

Canadian Mike Malott (12-2-1) won his fight with American Charles Radtke (10-5) by knockout 26 seconds into the second round of their welterweight bout. Malott took down Radtke with a clean left hook and would not let up, striking his opponent with repeated followup blows to seal the knockout.

Radtke was met with jeers and curses from fans throughout the fight in response to comments he made to Canadian fans at a pre-fight news conference on Wednesday and the booing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Canadian sporting events in recent months.

Radtke said "when you all boo the national anthem, somebody’s gonna have to pay for that.”

In the women’s flyweight division, Canadian Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-3) took down Brazilian Jessia Andrade (26-14) by submission just over halfway through the first round.

“When I was preparing for this fight, I kept on thinking about it being a quick finish,” said Jasudavicius. “I kept on telling myself to be ready for 15 hard minutes and everything."

Marc-Andre Barriault (17-9) also knocked out opponent Bruno Silva (23-13) 1:27 into the opening round of their middleweight bout with an elbow struck to the side of Silva’s head. Silva left the octagon on a stretcher.

Benoit Saint Denis (14-3) beat Kyle Prepolec (12-8) by submission in the opening main card fight. The Frenchman took down the Canadian with an arm-triangle choke midway through the second round.

Prepolec only found out less than two weeks ago he would be fighting in Montreal. The 35-year-old was called in to replace Joel Alvarez, who has a hand injury.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Valentina Shevchenko, right, lands a blow to Manon Fiorot during their UFC 315 mixed martial arts flyweight title bout in Montreal, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Valentina Shevchenko celebrates her victory over Manon Fiorot following their UFC 315 mixed martial arts flyweight title bout in Montreal, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Belal Muhammad, left, takes a blow from Jack Della Maddalena during their UFC 315 mixed martial arts welterweight title bout in Montreal, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Jack Della Maddalena reacts following his UFC 315 mixed martial arts welterweight title bout against Belal Muhammad in Montreal, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Natalia Silva, left, lands a kick to the head of Alexa Grasso, right, during their UFC 315 flyweight mixed martial arts bout in Montreal, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Jose Aldo, right, and Aiemann Zahabi, left, trade blows during their UFC 315 featherweight mixed martial arts bout in Montreal, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Aiemann Zahabi, top, punches Jose Aldo, bottom, during their UFC 315 featherweight mixed martial arts bout in Montreal, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Georges St-Pierre, right, coaches Aiemann Zahabi, left, during his UFC 315 mixed martial arts featherweight bout against Jose Aldo in Montreal, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Aiemann Zahabi, top, reacts following his win over Jose Aldo during their UFC 315 mixed martial arts featherweight bout in Montreal, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)