Belal Muhammad is set to defend his welterweight championship against Jack Della Maddalena this Saturday at UFC 315. The main card features another title fight, with women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko taking on Manon Fiorot in the co-main event.
In his last fight, Muhammad earned the title with a decisive unanimous decision win over Leon Edwards, showcasing his grappling prowess. He now faces Della Maddalena, a formidable opponent known for his striking abilities and a remarkable winning streak of 17 fights, 14 of which ended in stoppage.
Shevchenko is also in a similar position, defending her title for the first time after regaining it in a trilogy match against Alexa Grasso. Following a surprising upset loss to Grasso, Shevchenko emerged victorious in their rematch, reclaiming the title. Shevchenko faces Fiorot, who comes into this fight on a 12-fight winning streak, adding further excitement to the matchup.
The rest of the card includes the return of former featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who will face Aiemann Zahabi, and a pivotal women’s flyweight bout featuring Alexa Grasso against rising contender Natalia Silva. Rising star Benoit Saint-Denis will also compete against Kyle Prepolec in a lightweight clash.
The full UFC 315 fight card is as follows:
– Belal Muhammad (c) -190 vs. Jack Della Maddalena +150, welterweight title
– Manon Fiorot -140 vs. Valentina Shevchenko (c) +115, women’s flyweight title
– Jose Aldo -220 vs. Aiemann Zahabi +175, featherweights
– Natalia Silva -225 vs. Alexa Grasso +175, women’s flyweights
– Benoit Saint Denis -1115 vs. Kyle Prepolec +750, lightweights
– Lee Jeong Yeong -127 vs. Daniel Santos +102, featherweights
– Mike Malott -200 vs. Charles Radtke +160, welterweights
– Modestas Bukauskas -110 vs. Ion Cuțelaba -110, light heavyweights
– Jasmine Jasudavicius -335 vs. Jessica Andrade +250, women’s flyweights
– Navajo Stirling -278 vs. Ivan Erslan +215, light heavyweights
– Joshua Van -480 vs. Bruno Silva +360, middleweights
As excitement builds toward the event, analysts and experts share their predictions. Many believe Muhammad’s grappling skills may give him the edge over Della Maddalena, who has shown excellent striking but has vulnerabilities in takedown defense. For the women’s title fight, experts note that while Fiorot boasts a dominant winning streak, Shevchenko’s experience could prove decisive, making for a potentially thrilling matchup.
The anticipation for UFC 315 is palpable, as fans look forward to watching elite fighters showcase their skills in a night filled with action and fierce competition.