UFC 315 results: Bloody Aiemann Zahabi controversially decisions Jose Aldo, nearly scores late finish

Andrew Richardson is a professional fighter who trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif., providing MMAmania.com (and its readers) with expert technical fighter breakdowns, insight and analysis you can't get anywhere else.

Jose Aldo vs. Aiemann Zahabi squared off in a Featherweight contest earlier tonight (Sat., May 10, 2025) at UFC 315 inside Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In a crazy back-and-forth fight, Zahabi earned the decision victory.

Aldo opened the bout with pressure, working behind the jab and looking much bigger than his opponent. He landed early with some crisp combinations, putting Zahabi on the defensive right away. Halfway through the round, Aldo started firing some kicks with his lead leg to interrupt Zahabi’s offense. Any time Zahabi opened up, Aldo blocked and countered well. Finally, with about a minute remaining in the first, Zahabi was able to connect on a jab and build into a longer combination. The two started to brawl, and both men landed. Zahabi started working his front kick to the body to good effect, and all of a sudden, we had a real fight on our hands!

Zahabi blasted forward with a knee to start round two. Aldo focused on the jab, but he was no longer the sole man advancing. At 38 years of age, Aldo’s defense was still remarkably sharp as he slipped just out of range of most Zahabi punches. Aldo timed a counter body shot perfectly, and his jab cut Zahabi’s eye open. A couple low blows stalled the action. Zahabi landed a nice right hand on the reset, closing a generally more competitive round in good form.

Aldo opened the third round aggressive, clipping Zahabi with several hard shots and just missing on a nasty knee. Zahabi answered with a lovely double jab-cross connection. Out of nowhere, an Aldo right hand and knee floored Zahabi! The Canadian flew across the cage, and Aldo pursued the finish for a moment. When it didn’t happen, Aldo suddenly looked tired, and Zahabi surged forward with his own close quarter combinations! Aldo shot for a desperation takedown and landed on his back. Zahabi settled into guard and began to drop massive elbows. Aldo was cut! Not only was the Brazilian legend badly fatigued, but he was getting battered as well.

It was a rough couple minutes, but Aldo survived to the final bell and earned the nod.

The greatness and limitations of 2025 Aldo were on display here. He looked incredibly fast and still has plenty of power, but his gas tank is slimmer than ever. When the finish failed to materialize in round three, he was absolutely SPENT! Despite getting knocked across the cage, Zahabi ended up way fresher.

As for the decision ... I’m not sure about this one. Aldo seemed to land the better shots at a more accurate rate in the first two rounds, nullifying a lot of Zahabi’s offense. I wouldn’t call it a robbery necessarily, and given the weight miss business, perhaps it’s only fair to learn towards Zahabi in a close one?

Result: Aiemann Zahabi defeats Jose Aldo via unanimous decision

For complete UFC 315 results and play-by-play, click here.