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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena
Setting The Table For This Weekend’s Twin Title Fight Return To Bell Centre In Montreal
By E. Spencer Kyte
Saturday night, UFC 315 marks the return of the Octagon to Montreal with a pay-per-view fight card that is flush with action, including a pair of outstanding championship bouts.
It’s been 10 years since the mixed martial arts leader was last in the French-Canadian metropolis, where the first two events set and then reset the UFC attendance record, and it is almost guaranteed that more than 20,000 ravenous fight fans will once again pack the Bell Centre this weekend to take in this compelling collection of critical bouts and sure-fire bangers.
Here’s a closer look at what’s on tap for Saturday night.
C’est la soirée de combat à Montréal; allons-y!
Welterweight Championship Main Event: Belal Muhammad vs Jack Della Maddalena
Belal Muhammad faces off with streaking Australian Jack Della Maddalena in his first defense of the UFC welterweight title.
Muhammad claimed the belt with a dominant effort against Leon Edwards last summer in Manchester, venturing across the pond to down the British titleholder and bring the belt back to Chicago. He’s won six straight and is unbeaten in his last 11 outings, using his signature blend of pressure and conditioning to absolutely suffocate everyone that has been stationed across from him over the last six years.
A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’21, Della Maddalena has gone 7-0 since matriculating to the Octagon, registering finishes in five of those contests. The Perth man has shown an innate ability to do what is needed to win, as evidenced by his consecutive narrow wins over Bassil Hafez and Kevin Holland, as well as his come-from-behind finish of Gilbert Burns in his last appearance at UFC 299.
Stylistically, this profiles as a “grappler versus striker” battle, but the reality is that each of these men is more well-rounded than such a designation suggests, and it’s more likely going to play out as a test of wills and mettle. Can Muhammad continue his unchecked mauling of welterweight standouts, or will Della Maddalena become just the third Australian to hold UFC gold?
Flyweight Championship Co-Main Event: Valentina Shevchenko vs Manon Fiorot
In the co-main event of the evening, flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko begins her second reign in a matchup against No. 1 contender Manon Fiorot.
After two years and three fights spent battling Alexa Grasso, Shevchenko emerged from the trilogy where she was at its outset: stationed atop the 125-pound weight class. The 37-year-old superstar dominated the third bout with her grappling, registering a clean sweep of the scorecards to move to 10-1-1 in the flyweight division and 24-4-1 overall.
Fiorot touches down in Montreal having earned victories in each of her first seven UFC appearances and a dozen consecutive bouts overall. In her last two outings, the southpaw from Nice, France has earned unanimous decision wins over Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield to cement her standing as the top title threat in the division.
It’s crazy how much things can change in just a couple fights. After Shevchenko lost the title, there were questions about whether she was on the downside of her career, but having returned to the throne in impressive fashion, it seems like that talk has quieted down. Fiorot is a legitimate threat with the physicality to potentially neutralize some of the champion’s best offensive weapons, so it’s going to be fascinating to see how this one plays out once these two stand opposite one another on Saturday night.
Additional Main Card Matchups
Jose Aldo vs Aiemann Zahabi
Brazilian legend Jose Aldo faces off with Montreal’s own Aiemann Zahabi in this clash of Top 15 bantamweights in the middle of the UFC 315 pay-per-view main card.
Aldo made his return to competition last year, earning a unanimous decision win over Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301 before dropping a debated decision to Mario Bautista five months later at UFC 307. We saw flashes of vintage Aldo in both outings, and despite being 41 fights into his career, the 38-year-old still seems more than capable of hanging with some of the best the division has to offer.
The last Canadian to make the walk this weekend, Zahabi competes at home for the first time in nearly a decade, looking to earn the biggest win of his career while adding to his five-fight winning streak. The 37-year-old looked razor-sharp in his decision win over Pedro Munhoz in early November, and the roof will come off the Bell Centre if the hometown fighter can collect a victory over the Hall of Fame member this weekend.
This is one of those bouts that is going to answer several of the lingering questions we have about each man, including, but not limited to, how much gas does Aldo have left in the tank and is Zahabi truly poised to make a push into the Top 10 in the bantamweight division? This weight class is going to be front and center of the next several weeks, and a strong performance by either man here will set them up for something even bigger next time out.
Alexa Grasso vs Natalia Silva
Former champion Alexa Grasso faces off with ascending Brazilian Natalia Silva in the second of Saturday’s three crucial flyweight contests.
Grasso enters this fight in a unique position, as she’s both one fight removed from having entered as champion, while also having gone without a victory over her last two appearances. She had been perfect in the division prior to her second and third bouts with Shevchenko, and if she can get back to that form here, the Lobo Gym representative will show that she’s still amongst the division’s elite.
The 28-year-old Silva has gone 6-0 since signing with the UFC, showcasing dynamic kickboxing and excellent movement while earning recent wins over Andrea Lee, Viviane Araujo, and Jessica Andrade. She’s continued to elevate her game as she’s worked her way up the divisional ladder, and with a dominant showing against the former champ, Silva could establish herself as the clubhouse leader in the chase for the next championship opportunity.
Will Grasso bounce back and halt Silva’s unbeaten run inside the Octagon or will the emerging contender take another big step towards a future title fight?
Preliminary Card Pairings
Mike Malott vs Charles Radtke
Mike Malott and Charles Radtke lock horns as the dueling welterweights look to build on recent successes.
Malott authored a workmanlike win over Trevin Giles last time out, carefully working his way to his first decision win in Edmonton. Following a stoppage loss to Carlos Prates last June, Radtke got things moving in the right direction again in November with a sub-one-minute stoppage win over Matthew Semelsberger.
Jessica Andrade vs Jasmine Jasudavicius
Ranked flyweights Jessica Andrade and Jasmine Jasudavicius meet in the first of the night’scrucial contests in the 125-pound weight class.
Andrade, who holds the record for the most UFC appearances by a female fighter, enters having gone just 2-4 over her last six fights and having lost each of her last two appearances at flyweight. Jasudavicius rolls into Montreal on a hot streak, having posted three wins in 2024 to force her way into the rankings before earning a unanimous decision victory over Mayra Bueno Silva earlier this year to extend her winning streak to four.
Modestas Bukauskas vs Ion Cutelaba
Light heavyweights coming off impressive wins earlier this year in Seattle are paired off here, as Modestas Bukauskas clashes with Ion Cutelaba.
Bukauskas kicked off the evening at Climate Pledge Arena in February with a first-round knockout win over Rafael Cerqueira, giving him consecutive victories and four wins in his five starts since returning to the UFC. Later in the night, Cutelaba closed out the prelims by submitting Ibo Aslan, marking just the second time in his 18-fight UFC run that he’s earned consecutive victories.
Navajo Sterling vs Ivan Erslan
Navajo Sterling and Ivan Erslan share the Octagon in this preliminary card battle between light heavyweight sophomores.
A member of the City Kickboxing crew, Sterling followed up his contract-winning appearance on Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series with a unanimous decision win over Tuco Tokkos on the final fight card of 2024. The 33-year-old Erslan made his promotional debut in September, landing on the unhappy side of a split decision verdict in a fight against Cutelaba.
Marc-Andre Barriault vs Bruno Silva
Veteran middleweights Marc-Andre Barriault and Bruno Silva square off here, with each man looking to get things moving in the right direction again.
A native of Gatineau, Quebec, Barriault returns to his home province looking to halt a three-fight slide where he’s been knocked out in consecutive contests. Silva began his UFC career with three straight victories, but it’s been tough sledding since, as the Brazilian has dropped four straight and six of his last seven.
Daniel Santos vs JeongYeong Lee
Daniel Santos steps in on short notice to face off with former Road to UFC tournament winner JeongYeong Lee in this combustible featherweight matchup.
Santos has earned consecutive victories after dropping his first appearance inside the Octagon but has logged just one appearance since October 2022. Lee tried to trade shots with Hyder Amil last time out, only to end up getting defeated by “The Hurricane.”
Brad Katona vs Bekzat Almakhan
Bantamweights Brad Katona and Bekzat Almakhan are slated to kick off the action this weekend in Montreal.
Two-time TUF winner Katona has continued to struggle to find consistency in his second stint on the UFC roster, having alternated wins and losses over his last four trips into the Octagon. Almakhan makes his second appearance in the UFC and first since being called up on short notice and stinging Umar Nurmagomedov early in their March 2024 clash at the UFC APEX.
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