Tag: UFC 315

Carlos Prates: Jack Della Maddalena won’t be a ‘hard fight’ for Belal Muhammad at UFC 315

Carlos Prates doesn’t see Jack Della Maddalena being a stern test for UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.

[autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag] doesn’t see [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] as a stern test for UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag].

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defends his welterweight title against Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) May 10 in the UFC 315 main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Surging contender Prates confidently predicts a Muhammad win.

“I think Belal’s going to win,” Prates told Home of Fight. “Jack Della Maddalena looks like a good fighter, but he fought one time Kevin Holland and he won by split decision. Then he fought another guy, I don’t remember the name, he’s not even anymore in the UFC, and then he fought Gilbert Burns and he was losing the fight, and in the last minute he won the fight.

“OK, it’s good but only his good win is against Gilbert Burns, and Belal Muhammad has been beating a lot of guys really good. I would like to see Jack Della Maddalena as a champ because he’s striker and things like that, but I think Belal Muhammad’s going to win. It’s not going to be a hard fight.”

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After four knockouts and four Performance of the Night bonuses to kick off his octagon tenure, Fighting Nerds’ Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will look to emerge as a top contender when he takes on Ian Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) April 26 in the UFC on ESPN 66 main event at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.

Kamaru Usman: Belal Muhammad’s trash talk ‘not far’ from Colby Covington’s

Kamaru Usman thinks UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad is nearing Colby Covington territory with his trash talk.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] thinks UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] is nearing [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] territory with his trash talk.

That’s quite the statement from former champion Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC), considering that Covington has gone after his father’s troubled past in the build-up of their title fights. Usman was pointing to Muhammad’s dig at UFC 315 opponent Jack Della Maddalena.

“Just when I was gonna donate to your fundraiser so your coaches can come …enjoy spirit airlines.”

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is referring to the rumor that emerged about Della Maddalena needing a fundraiser to fly the rest of his coaching staff to Montreal, Quebec, Canada for his title fight on May 10. That rumor was later debunked as a misunderstanding.

Either way, Usman was critical of Muhammad’s way with words.

“I don’t think that’s very Muslim-esque,” Usman said of Muhammad on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Cejudo. “We don’t care about that. It is what it is. This is a guy who really is, for as much as you say you don’t like Covington for what Covington did to get to the top of the division and how he talks to people, you’re not far from it right now.

“And I think a lot of fans see that, and a lot of fans understand that as well, but it is what it is. At least these two guys are going to be able to step in there and actually settle it, so I’m excited for that.”

Usman’s dislike for Muhammad stems from an alleged scuffle that they had when Muhammad came on as a guest on his podcast. The episode never aired, but Usman’s co-host Henry Cejudo confirmed that things got physical between the two.

“I almost got kicked,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie. “Punches were thrown, and I had a messed-up ankle at that time. So Kamaru Usman and Belal, Belal was kicking me to my head, dude. Luckily I did a little slip. But it was definitely Rated R.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.

Jack Della Maddalena: ‘Fair play’ to UFC champ Belal Muhammad for ‘boring fight style’

Jack Della Maddalena isn’t the biggest fan of UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad’s fighting style.

[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] isn’t the biggest fan of UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]’s fighting style.

Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) challenges Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) for the welterweight title May 10 in the UFC 315 main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

In what is dubbed as a striker vs. grappler matchup on paper, Della Maddalena criticized Muhammad’s style but admitted it’s effective.

“It’s no question he’s got a boring fight style,” Della Maddalena told Fox Sports Australia. “He’s good at holding people down, getting victories, but fair play to him. (Georges St-Pierre) got some flack back in the day for being a boring style, and it’s just because he’s better than people across the board. He can hold down the strikers and outstrike the grapplers, that sort of thing.

“So, we’ve got to give him credit. I definitely think it’s a boring style, but I think winning is obviously his No. 1 goal and fair play to him, but I feel like I can beat him. I’m a more dangerous fighter for sure, and I think I cannot only get the world title, but get the world title off a dominant finish with style points for sure.”

Della Maddalena was taken down seven times and controlled for more than five minutes in his come-from-behind knockout win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 299, which has resulted in oddsmakers pitting him as a moderate underdog.

“I got some practice with that against Gilbert Burns,” Della Maddalena said. “And I feel like in the three-round fight, I was able to continuously get back to my feet and cook him. Like a good-old jiu-jitsu match, cook him and then get the finish later in the fight, and I feel like having five rounds I believe will be to my advantage. I believe I will be able to continuously get back to my feet and sting Belal. Having those extra two rounds to damage him, I think it works well for me. I’m going to keep pushing until the final bell.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.

Colby Covington: UFC 315 headliners Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena ‘don’t draw flies to sh*t’

Colby Covington sees Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena doing low numbers at UFC 315.

[autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] sees [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] doing low numbers at UFC 315.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defends his welterweight title against Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the May 10 main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) took aim at the star power of both headliners.

“I see that bout really boring the fans,” Covington said in an interview with Tim Welch. “I feel bad for the fans that that’s what they get for a title fight. That’s just piss poor, and two losers in the sport that don’t draw flies to sh*t.”

Covington is no longer in the title picture after back-to-back losses to Leon Edwards and Joaquin Buckley. He is not short of options with the likes of Themba Gorimbo, Michael Chiesa, and Michael Page calling him out, but the former interim welterweight champion is only eyeing big fights.

“Anybody that has that big name (is who I want next),” Covington said. “Big fights, wherever the biggest and best fights that I can get done for the UFC, that’s what I want to do. We’ve got to see how things are going. There are a couple of people who have been running my name through their mouths, so they can get their mouth shut for sure. But I’ve got to see what the UFC wants to do.

“I want legacy fights, big fights, former champions, big, high-level fights – not guys that are just coming up and just starting to build their name because I’ve been here, I’ve done that, I’m a world champion. It doesn’t matter what my ranking is. I’m the champion of the division. I’m the biggest draw, and I’m the biggest star in the division. So anytime I fight, it’s a championship fight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.

Leon Edwards breaks down Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315

Leon Edwards can see Jack Della Maddalena upsetting Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] sees [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] upsetting [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] at UFC 315.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defends his welterweight title against Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the May 10 main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Edwards (22-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC) lost his welterweight title to Muhammad by unanimous decision at UFC 304 but thinks Della Maddalena has the style to beat the champion.

“If I had to put money on it, I’d probably favor JDM,” Edwards said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I feel like JDM, his boxing is what will probably shut him (Muhammad) down, and he’s a good anti-grappler, JDM.

“It’s easy to take him down, but his scrambles on the floor are good. I feel like Belal won’t be enough to hold him down for that long. So, maybe JDM if I had to put money on it.”

Edwards admits the sight of seeing Muhammad as champion irks him.

“He said if he lost (at UFC 304) he would’ve retired,” Edwards said of Muhammad. “I wish this guy f*cking retired because he’s annoying. It doesn’t look right on him, the belt.”

Edwards will look to re-enter the title picture when he takes on Sean Brady (17-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 255 (ESPN+) main event at The O2 in London.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.

Ian Machado Garry ‘livid’ UFC chose Jack Della Maddalena for title shot over him

Ian Machado Garry can’t believe Jack Della Maddalena is fighting for the middleweight title at UFC 315.

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] can’t believe [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] is fighting for the welterweight championship at UFC 315.

Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) was scheduled to make his first title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov, but the undefeated contender couldn’t compete due to injury. Muhammad was instead matched up with Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the May 10 headliner (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Although Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is coming off a decision loss to Rakhmonov at UFC 310 this past December, he thinks he would have been a more logical choice for the title shot.

“Why aren’t I fighting for the title? I had a chat with my agent,” Garry posted on his Instagram. “I rang him when he told me about this news, and I was livid – still am to this day. I had a No. 1 contender’s fight where the guy (Rakhmonov) now has to get knee reconstruction and is out for a year. But you know, it’s not my fault. I didn’t do it. I didn’t stab his knee 20 something times and boot the leg off. I’m not fighting for a world title because I’m coming off a loss, and they’re giving it to a guy who’s been injured for a year, and they think that’s more exciting, but they’re wrong.

“The world title fight was meant to be Shavkat Rakhmonov taking on Belal Muhammad, but Shavkat apparently is out injured. I wonder how that happened? Now they’re pulling in a guy who hasn’t fought in a year because he’s had an operation on his forearm because he broke it in his last fight, hasn’t fought in a long time, and hasn’t been active. So, they’ve given it to Jack Della Maddalena because I’m coming off of a loss. That’s OK. Don’t worry. I’ll get you all. You’re all mine.”

Although Della Maddalena hasn’t competed since a comeback knockout of Gilbert Burns at UFC 299 in March 2024, he is on a 17-fight winning streak. Meanwhile, Machado Garry’s loss to Rakhmonov marked the first of his career.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 315 co-main event

The opening odds for Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 are dead even.

Flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] will face a streaking contender in the first title defense of her second reign.

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot preview

Shevchenko (24-4-1 MMA, 13-3-1 UFC) reclaimed her flyweight title when she defeated Alexa Grasso by unanimous decision in their trilogy bout at UFC 306 this past September.

Unbeaten in the UFC, [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) cemented her spot as No. 1 contender when she defeated former champion Rose Namajunas, and top contender Erin Blanchfield.

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot odds

According to FanDuel, the odds for flyweight champion Shevchenko and France’s Fiorot have opened up at -113 even.

How to watch Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot at UFC 315

  • When: Saturday, May 10, 2025
  • Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.

Belal Muhammad: ‘I’m not going to shoot one takedown’ on Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315

Belal Muhammad has made a bold claim ahead of UFC 315.

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] has made a bold claim ahead of UFC 315.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defends his welterweight title against [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the May 10 main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Muhammad outstruck Leon Edwards, and took him down nine times when he dethroned him at UFC 304. He’s confident that he can go toe-toe-toe against Della Maddalena’s sharp hands – for the entire fight.

”I’m going to go in there, I’m going to outbox Jack,” Muhammad said on “The Coach And The Casual” podcast. “I’m not going to shoot one takedown, and I’m going to show him the meaning of Canelo hands. I’m going to show the UFC fighters, the fans, that I’m the best boxer in the UFC, the best boxer in the welterweight division.”

Muhammad acknowledges that he has a grappling advantage over Della Maddalena, but knows he won’t be easy to keep down.

“I think I can take him down, but for me, I don’t like to underestimate guys,” Muhammad said. “He’s had fights where guys took him down, but he keeps going. Even that last fight with Gilbert Burns, I thought he was losing up until that last 30 seconds, so it tells me he has heart. He’s never going to quit or give up on himself even if he gets taken down.

“I’ve got to be ready to go a hard pace and be ready for him to match it. I think he gets a lot of guys because he pressures them, but the difference is, when you’re going against another pressure fighter that gives more pressure than you, then you’re going to have to back up. Then you can’t really box going backwards.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.

UFC champ Belal Muhammad: Leon Edwards has no chance to leapfrog Shavkat Rakhmonov

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad isn’t expecting to rematch Leon Edwards anytime soon.

UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] isn’t expecting to rematch [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] anytime soon.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) dethroned Edwards to become champion at UFC 304 and is scheduled to make his first title defense against Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC 315 headliner in Montreal.

Meanwhile, Edwards (22-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC) will look to rebound when he meets Sean Brady in the UFC Fight Night 255 headliner March 22 in London. Edwards claimed that the UFC dubbed his fight with Brady as a No. 1 contender bout, which Muhammad scoffed at.

“I don’t know what Leon is thinking,” Muhammad said on the “Believe You Me” podcast. “Leon, you have a full three years before you can even think about getting a rematch. It’s going to be a long three years of fighting contenders for Leon. I would make him wait.

“I have the next guy in line anyway. I think it’s Shavkat. There’s nothing I don’t think he can do to skip Shavkat. I wouldn’t allow that to even happen with Leon. Yeah, he can go out there and throw a cartwheel kick, spinning backfist, and then I’m still going to put, ‘Lol, he still sucks.'”

Muhammad was scheduled to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, but withdrew after suffering a bone infection in his foot. Rakhmonov remained on the card and defeated Ian Machado Garry in a five-round fight. But when Rakhmonov couldn’t make UFC 315 due to injury, Muhammad was booked against Della Maddalena instead.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.

Video: Is Jose Aldo being properly matched up by the UFC?

Jose Aldo draws Aiemann Zahabi for UFC 315, but is that a waste? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s return from retirement had many fans excited, who believed the MMA legend still had plenty left in the tank. However, after his latest booking some are questioning the matchmaking around the former UFC and WEC champion.

Aldo is set to take on [autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag] at UFC 315 on May 10 in Zahabi’s hometown of Montreal. This matchup follows previous bouts against Jonathan Martinez and Mario Bautista. Many have found these fights underwhelming

What do we think about the Zahabi matchup, along with the previous two? Is Aldo’s little time remaining in the sport being wasted by the UFC? Will Aldo come out on top against Zahabi?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Dan Tom, and host “Gorgeous” George discuss Aldo’s run after his return from retirement and the Zahabi matchup.

Watch their discussion in the video above and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/Q6asBRskUCE

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