UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad is expected to put his title on the line for the first time in just under three months from now.
Muhammad is booked to meet Australian striker Jack Della Maddalena in the main event of UFC 315 on May 10th, the promotion announced on Wednesday night. The five-round meeting at 170 pounds will close out the first UFC card at the Centre Bell in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in over a decade.
The lengthy win streak of “Remember The Name” Muhammad reached new heights last July, as he went five competitive rounds against Leon Edwards to win on scorecards and capture the welterweight title.
While Muhammad was expected to return late last year to put his title on the line against undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, the UFC 310 clash was cancelled due to the champ suffering a foot infection.
This time around, it was Rakhmonov who was unable to make it to the fight. The Kazakhstan-based contender noted on social media this week that he was initially approached regarding a fight against Muhammad, although the mid-May date didn’t work for him.
“Big thanks to the UFC for offering me the shot at the belt first,” Rakhmonov wrote. “Unfortunately, due to injury, I won’t be ready for May. I’ll be facing the winner later this year!”
The matchup sees Della Maddalena suddenly get thrown into the welterweight title picture due to Rakhmonov’s absence. Earlier this week, it was assumed by many that he would headline UFC’s March 22nd card in London, England against former champ Leon Edwards. However, with the promotion in need of a new opponent for Muhammad, he has been pulled from that card and shifted to the May pay-per-view.
Della Maddalena has gone an impressive seven fights in the UFC without a loss. His past two appearances have seen him get past a pair of highly respected talents in the division, sneaking by Kevin Holland in 2023 and then scoring a buzzer-beating comeback stoppage win against Gilbert Burns last March.
A loss for Muhammad in the upcoming booking would make him the first undisputed welterweight champ since Johny Hendricks in 2014 to unsuccessfully defend their title once or more. If Della Maddalena wins, he’ll be just the third Australian champion in UFC history.
In lieu of Della Maddalena’s appearance on UFC’s March 22nd “Fight Night” card, fifth-ranked Sean Brady has stepped in to face Edwards.
Brady is coming off his first five-round pro win, beating former title challenger Gilbert Burns in September via decision. Before then, he has improved his standing in the division by beating names like Kelvin Gastelum and Jake Matthews.
Edwards will be appearing for the first time since losing his welterweight title to Muhammad last summer. He had a trio of title wins before then, dethroning Kamaru Usman and beating him in a rematch, then defeating Colby Covington in late 2023.
Shevchenko To Begin Second Flyweight Reign Against Fiorot
In her first appearance since returning to the top of the flyweight division, Valentina Shevchenko is expected to face Manon Fiorot in the co-main event of UFC 315.
Shevchenko reclaimed her spot as UFC Flyweight Champion last year, closing out her trilogy with Alexa Grasso by putting together a one-sided five-round performance.
Shevchenko’s incredibly dominant first reign as champ—lasting over 1,500 days and defending her title seven times—came to a shocking end in 2023 with a fourth-round submission loss to Grasso. After a second meeting between the two caused an unsatisfying draw result, Shevchenko closed out the rivalry by winning decisively in the third clash.
While Shevchenko battled it out with Grasso over the past two years, the flyweight division was building up new contenders. The most successful of the bunch in recent years has been France’s Fiorot.
Fiorot has yet to lose through seven UFC appearances, with past champs and top contenders being added to her win streak in recent years. After getting past former title challengers Jennifer Maia and Katlyn Cerminara and also earning a 2023 victory against two-time strawweight champ Rose Namajunas, Fiorot shut down the streak of fellow rising flyweight Erin Blanchfield last year in a five-round fight.
The result placed Fiorot second in the official rankings, making her the highest-ranked fighter who has yet to share the cage with Shevchenko.
While France has been represented in the UFC title picture by Ciryl Gane, nobody from the country has claimed undisputed champ status before. That could possibly change in just a few months.
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