Fight Coverage
The Bigger Picture | UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena
Diving Into The Key Discussion Points Following Saturday’s Eventful Return To Montreal
Back in Montreal for the first time in more than a decade, UFC 315 gave the more than 19,000 people in attendance and millions more watching at home plenty to enjoy on Saturday night, and even more to ponder as we start to digest what transpired and where it could lead.
There is a great deal to unpack here, so let’s just dive right in.
UFC 315 REWIND: Final Results | Official Scorecards
A Standout Effort Produces Major Shifts
Jack Della Maddalena claimed the welterweight title with a unanimous decision win over Belal Muhammad that showcased both the depth of his skills and the tremendous intangibles he carries with him into battle every time out.
The Dana White’s Contender Series grad has always been known for having outstanding striking and mixing his levels well, but it was his ability to keep things upright and never get swept under by the pressure of Muhammad that really carried him through on Saturday. He took the center of the Octagon and forced Muhammad to take more backwards steps than he had in any of his recent efforts, quickly breaking free or scurrying back to his feet in the moments where the champion looked to grapple.
Jack Della Maddalena Post-Fight Interview | UFC 315
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Jack Della Maddalena Post-Fight Interview | UFC 315
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Throughout the contest, he maintained a steady attack, varying his shots and targets, never giving Muhammad too much time where he wasn’t forced to deal with something coming his way, which is precisely what you need to do against a pressure fighter. It was an outstanding performance and expertly crafted gameplan by Della Maddalena and the Scrappy MMA crew, giving Australia and the Contender Series each their third UFC champion.
Della ascending to the throne not only shook things up in the welterweight division, but alters plans at the top of the lightweight division as well.
READ: Vitor Belfort Named To UFC Hall Of Fame Class Of 2025
Reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has made it clear that he wants to move up to face Della Maddalena at some point later this year. If that happens, we could get some electric pairings from amongst the host of contenders queued up at welterweight in the back half of the year, as Shavkat Rakhmonov, Sean Brady, Ian Machado Garry, and the winner of the forthcoming bout between former champ Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley join Muhammad in trying to cement their place in the hierarchy.
Makhachev moving up also brings uncertainty about how things will line up at lightweight, though by no means is that a bad thing.
There is an abundance of talent congregated towards the top end of the division, and we should end up with some combination of bouts featuring ex-featherweight champ Ilia Topuria, former lightweight ruler Charles Oliveira, top contenders Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje, and Max Holloway. Mix in the likes of Dan Hooker, Mateusz Gamrot, and Paddy Pimblett, and you have a considerable collection of talent to pull from in order to get things lined up at lightweight.
The second half of 2025 just got even more exciting.
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A Massive Night At Flyweight
While UFC 315 wrapped with a welterweight title fight, this past weekend’s return to Montreal was a massive night in the women’s flyweight division more than anything else.
In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko kicked off her second reign with a unanimous decision win over game challenger Manon Fiorot, who steadied herself after a rough opening frame to push “Bullet” the rest of the way and re-affirm that she’s a serious force in the division. A couple fights earlier, Natalia Silva made her case for a future championship opportunity with a sharp, tactical win over Alexa Grasso, using her movement, speed, and diversity of attacks to frustrate the former titleholder.
Valentina Shevchenko Post-Fight Interview | UFC 315
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Valentina Shevchenko Post-Fight Interview | UFC 315
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And earlier in the evening, Canadian Jasmine Jasudavicius made perhaps the biggest statement of all, running through former title challenger and ex-strawweight ruler Jessica Andrade to earn her second win of 2025 and fifth consecutive victory overall. That’s six of the top 10 fighters in the division in action in one night, and with Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber slated to face off in a five-round main event matchup in just under two weeks, that will mean that eight of those 10 will have crossed the threshold into the UFC Octagon this month, giving us plenty to parse from the results as we ready to head into the summer.
Flyweight has quickly become the most talent-rich division on the women’s side of the roster and honestly is starting to rival the best divisions on the men’s side of the draw, too, and just as the back half of the year is going to create time for things to get sorted out at both lightweight and welterweight, the same is possible in the 125-pound ranks, too.
MORE UFC 315: Bonus Coverage
While Silva has a solid case for a championship opportunity and the winner of the Blanchfield-Barber fight will be in the same position, the timing might be right for a “Champion versus Champion” clash between Shevchenko and strawweight queen Zhang Weili, who called a bout between the two “destiny” following her fellow champion’s win.
No matter what comes next or how things shake out, the flyweight division is absolutely thriving right now and there is no reason to believe that won’t continue to be the case for the foreseeable future.
Canada Still On The Rise
Coming out of UFC 297 last January, it felt to some like things in the UFC have turned for Canadian talents. After a magical night in Vancouver the previous summer at UFC 289 where fighters from the host nation went 5-0, with Romanian-born Stoney Creek, Ontario resident Diana Belbita kicking things off with a win, as well, Canucks went 2-7 in Toronto, with Jasudavicius and Gillian Robertson accounting for the only victories.
It was a better night in Edmonton towards the end of the year, as Canadian athletes went 6-2, but there was still a bit of a lingering hangover coming off a winless run last season on Dana White’s Contender Series and the rough night in “The Big Smoke” several months earlier.
As we come away from this past weekend’s event in Montreal, it feels safe to say that things are going pretty well overall for the Canadian contingent in the UFC at the moment.
Yes, Brad Katona and Kyle Prepolec lost on Saturday but, on the whole, athletes from the host nation went 4-2, with Jasudavicius and Marc-Andre Barriault collecting Performance of the Night bonuses, Mike Malott garnering a nasty second-round knockout win over Charles Radtke, and Aiemann Zahabi closing out the night for the Canadians with a unanimous decision victory over Jose Aldo, at home, to extend his winning streak to six. Mix in Gillian Robertson’s dominant showing against Marina Rodriguez and Serhiy Sidey collecting his second straight win a couple weeks back in Des Moines, Iowa, and it’s been a quality few weeks for Canadians inside the Octagon.
Jasmine Jasudavicius Post-Fight Interview | UFC 315
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Jasmine Jasudavicius Post-Fight Interview | UFC 315
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There are a total of 15 Canadians on the active UFC roster, and six of them have picked up wins in the last month, with Zahabi, Jasudavicius, and Robertson having won a combined 15 straight while continuing to climb the rankings in their respective divisions.
The Great Fight North is still thriving.
View Jasudavicius' Athlete Profile
Quick Hitters
Benoit Saint Denis remains the kind of all-action fighter that is a perfect fit in the lightweight rankings. He’s guaranteed excitement no matter whom he’s matched up against, is skilled and dogged enough to test and push those stationed ahead of him in the Top 15, and an outstanding litmus test for anyone trying to work their way into the rankings at his expense.
Navajo Stirling continues to show improvements and offer glimpses of a bright future. It took him some time to really settle into his bout with Ivan Erslan, but he got there and got the win, moving to 2-0 in the UFC in the process.
Daniel Santos is one of those competitors that is worth tuning in for every time he’s scheduled to compete. “Willycat” earned his third straight win on Saturday, fighting with his trademark devil may care approach, and whether he stays at featherweight or returns to the 135-pound ranks, he is sure to deliver another entertaining effort next time out.
Bekzat Almakhan kicked things off with a brilliant knockout win over Katona, sticking the Canadian with a sharp uppercut 60 seconds into their bout. He gave an excellent account of himself on short notice against Umar Nurmagomedov last year in his debut, and showed on Saturday that he’s another promising, young talent to keep close tabs on in the division.
One Last Thing
I think I’m uniquely equipped to say what follows, seeing as I’m Canadian and have been covering the sport for the last 15 years.
First and foremost, Montreal shouldn’t ever go more than three years without a pay-per-view, as it is the best fight town in my home country, and it’s not even close. The Bell Centre was buzzing on Saturday night, and while there is always an element of absence making the heart grow fonder in situations like this, the fact is that Montreal is the epicenter of MMA in Canada, the fans have always been great, and showing up routinely will produce this kind of response every time out.
QUEBEC'S OWN GETS THE KNOCKOUT 😳@PowerBarriault earns the Round 1 KO in front of his fellow Canadians! 🇨🇦
— UFC (@ufc) May 10, 2025
[ #UFC315 LIVE NOW on @ESPNPlus PPV ] pic.twitter.com/he1yckLeql
Years ago, when I wrote for a Canadian newspaper chain (remember newspapers?), I suggested a four-year rotation of pay-per-views in this country, where Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver were locked in as regular stops, and the fourth city alternated between Calgary and Edmonton. With one Fight Night event per year historically coming north of the border, you can add in spots like Winnipeg or Quebec City as well, and then you have a six-city circuit to rotate through, ensuring markets stay satisfied, but also don’t get oversaturated.
Secondly, this is the kind of pay-per-view lineup Canadian markets deserve every time.
Canadian events own the podium when it comes to North American attendance records for the UFC, and Saturday night showed that a strong card is going to bring a strong crowd out in Montreal even if Georges St-Pierre isn’t on the bill. There were six Canadians on the card following the late addition of Prepolec and that was the right amount, as we don’t need every Canadian on the roster competing every time the Octagon travels north.
Meaningful fights will always win out over stacking the deck with Canadian talent and eliminates the risk of having too many negative results that suck the life out of the crowd. Saturday was a great mixture and produced a solid flow to the night, and should be the blueprint for booking future pay-per-view events up here.
And with that, I’m out.
See you again after UFC 316.
Be good to one another.
UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena took place live from Bell Centre in Montréal, Québec, Canada on May 10, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!