Not every fight card is a guaranteed success, and when the lineup for UFC 315 was announced, many fans expressed skepticism. Fortunately, the competitors who showed up in Montreal exceeded expectations, especially in the main event.
Della Maddalena conquers the title against Muhammad
In the main event, Jack Della Maddalena proved his worth by overcoming Belal Muhammad and being crowned UFC welterweight champion. Few expected such an exciting fight.
The evening featured outstanding performances by Mike Malott, Bekzat Almakhan, Jasmine Jasudavicius, and Natalia Silva. Although not all the fights were to the liking of the audience, the event exceeded expectations for the UFC’s return to Montreal.
Below, we analyze and evaluate the quality of each fight and the overall card, considering the skill displayed, the competitiveness, and what was at stake.
Welterweight Championship: Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena
Result: Della Maddalena defeats Muhammad by unanimous decision.
Rating: A-
Expectations were low for this championship fight, but it exceeded expectations, partly due to Muhammad’s commitment to striking instead of his takedowns. The strategy resulted in a tense fight in which the two welterweights battled for position in the octagon and then relied on their punching prowess. Della Maddalena was more accurate, but Muhammad’s pressure gave him many opportunities to land significant strikes. Muhammad took many punches to the face as Della Maddalena continued the pressure. At times, it seemed Della Maddalena might be close to stopping the champion. Let’s hope Muhammad has shaken off the undeserved “boring” label after his performance, while Della Maddalena has shown he can be an exciting champion.
Women’s Flyweight: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot
Result: Shevchenko defeats Fiorot by unanimous decision.
Rating: B-
This was a long and brutal battle between Shevchenko and Fiorot. Shevchenko’s experience in title fights reigned supreme, but Fiorot proved she could overcome adversity after her nose was broken within minutes of the fight. It wasn’t an entertaining fight, but it was demanding for both women, who were careful not to make a critical mistake. The match was like a movie you enjoy when leaving the cinema, but don’t mind not watching again.
Men’s Bantamweight: José Aldo vs. Aiemann Zahabi
Result: Zahabi defeats Aldo by unanimous decision.
Rating: B+
This fight seemed like a classic Aldo performance, as the “King of Rio” found his old form at the beginning of the bout. Then, Aldo hurt Zahabi in the third round and sought a finish with a savage kick to the face. However, Aldo did not give in. It was then that Zahabi hit Aldo with his entire arsenal. After taking Aldo down, Zahabi followed him to the mat and struck his face with elbows. That epic final round made a relatively normal second round easy to forget. Zahabi earned the biggest victory of his career, although controversial because it seemed that Aldo won the first two rounds, by surviving Aldo’s offensive attack. Aldo retired after the fight, apparently out of frustration, but this fight is undoubtedly worth watching for its exciting conclusion.
Women’s Flyweight: Alexa Grasso vs. Natalia Silva
Result: Silva defeats Grasso by unanimous decision.
Rating: B
This may not have been aesthetically pleasing to some viewers due to Silva’s constant movement. However, this brilliant performance cemented Silva as the division’s top contender. Silva’s footwork was mesmerizing, setting up her kicks and counter-punches. Grasso couldn’t find her, and just when Grasso thought she had her, she received a kick or a punch to the face or body. Grasso’s face was bruised at the end of the fight, a sign that she wasn’t running away. Silva’s technical skill is worthy of a championship, and she made it look easy against the former champion.
Lightweight: Benoît Saint Denis vs. Kyle Prepolec
Result: Saint Denis defeats Prepolec by submission in the second round.
Rating: C
This was a strange fight to score. Prepolec, at +700, was a huge underdog against Saint Denis. However, Saint Denis had a harder time than expected getting rid of Perpolec. Prepolec survived a nearly exclusive grappling first round, then hit Saint Denis several times in the second round before the “God of War” put it all together for the final sequence. Saint Denis had to work for it, but got the result he needed to end a two-fight losing streak.
Welterweight: Mike Malott vs. Charles Radtke
Result: Malott defeats Radtke by KO in the second round.
Rating: B+
The way Malott demonstrated patience and refused to be drawn into an emotional battle with Radtke, who tried to turn the fight into a [USA vs. Canada](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bGq6UV5R_-M?si=hNNqRgJcrCNy20al&themeRefresh=1), was the highlight of this match. Malott waited for the right opportunity in the second round and landed a left hook behind a right hand that shook Radtke. Be patient with this one, because the knockout was impressive.
Women’s Flyweight: Jessica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Result: Jasudavicius defeats Andrade by submission in the first round.
Rating: B
This was an impeccable performance by Jasudavicius in his home country. He dispatched a former champion with ease. However, it was sad to see Andrade put up little to no resistance in the fight. The real question for Andrade is whether it’s time to hang up the gloves.
Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Ion Cutelaba
Result: Bukauskas defeats Cutelaba by split decision.
Rating: D-
The scorecards were as confusing as the fight. Bukauskas never got out of first gear and Cutelaba, who usually doesn’t participate in bad fights, had an equally uninspired performance. Somehow, one judge scored the fight 30-27 in favor of Bukauskas. If you really want to watch this fight, go ahead. The only reason you should do it is to understand the scorecards.
Light Heavyweight: Navajo Stirling vs. Ivan Erslan
Result: Stirling defeats Erslan by unanimous decision.
Rating: C-
Stirling couldn’t get away from Erslan’s right hand in the first round, looked slow in a second round dominated by grappling, but the action intensified in the final three minutes of the third. Sterling dropped Erslan with a right hand, and surprisingly, Erslan asked for more. A frantic brawl ensued, with Sterling nearly finishing Erslan. The City Kickboxing fighter didn’t get the finish, but the final round saved this fight from getting a failing grade.
Average Weight: Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Bruno Silva
Result: Barriault defeats Silva by KO in the first round.
Rating: B
If you blinked, you might have missed this finish. Quebec native Barriault rallied the energy of his countrymen in the crowd, drew Silva into a clinch along the cage, and unleashed a devastating short elbow that turned out the lights. The knockout may not have been as pretty as some of the year’s biggest, but it was certainly one of the most violent. Silva remained on the canvas for several minutes before leaving the octagon on a stretcher.
Featherweight: Daniel Santos vs. JeongYeong Lee
Result: Santos defeats Lee by unanimous decision.
Rating: B-
Santos, who was returning after a 23-month absence, seemed more than prepared for his match with Lee despite fighting in a different weight class on short notice. This fight started quickly, with Santos and Lee throwing punches and connecting combinations. But Santos’ approach was smarter, mixing takedown attempts with his punches to prevent Lee from settling into a rhythm. The action slowed down in the second half of the fight, but Santos’ performance was solid, building on an active initial round.
Men’s Bantamweight: Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan
Result: Almakhan defeats Katona by KO in the first round.
Rating: A-
Almakhan went unnoticed after almost finishing Umar Nurmagomedov a little over a year ago in his Octagon debut. The “Turan Warrior” sent a harsh reminder to the MMA world by becoming the first fighter to stop Katona when Almakhan sent him home with a perfectly timed counter just a minute into the fight. That early defeat might be the worst thing that has happened to the bantamweight division because Almakhan could be a headache for the 135-pound division.
UFC 315 Scorecard: B
A low-expectation fight card exceeded expectations, thanks to a wildly entertaining main event that few anticipated and several notable performances from individual wrestlers. There was nothing unwatchable, aside from the slow-paced Bukauskas-Cutelaba fight. It’s one of the rare occasions where low expectations made each performance more enjoyable. This could be one of the best fight cards of 2025.
