UFC 315 Preview And Predictions

UFC 315 Preview And Predictions

The UFC is returning to Montreal, Quebec, Canada for UFC 315. The event features a pair of championship fights atop the bill. The welterweight and women’s flyweight titles will be on the line. Additionally, an MMA legend will be competing on the card.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC 315 main card. You can find our prediction records below.

James: 42-38-1

Anthony: 47-33-1

Jerry: 29-29-1

No. 13 Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Kyle Prepolec- Lightweight Bout 

James: The UFC 315 main card features a lightweight bout between Benoit Saint-Denis and Kyle Preploec. Saint-Denis is looking to bounce back after suffering consecutive knockout losses. That poor run ended a five-fighting winning streak that had him close to title conversations. Preploec is taking this fight on less than a week’s notice after Joel Alvarez was forced to pull out of the fight. Prepolec is a former UFC fighter who went 0-2 in the promotion. In his run since leaving the UFC, he has gone 4-1. In all likelihood, Prepolec was unlikely to return to the promotion under typical circumstances; however, a short notice bout in his home country of Canada presented the opportunity. 

This UFC 315 matchup clearly previews Saint-Denis. This is a ridiculously one-sided bout. Saint-Denis is a ranked fighter with great performance while Prepolec holds a 0-2 UFC record. Saint-Denis should quickly establish his grappling and slowly break Prepolec. I will take Saint-Denis by second-round submission.

Anthony: Saint-Denis via KO/TKO

Jerry: Saint-Denis via KO/TKO

No. 1 Alexa Grasso vs. No. 5 Natalia Silva- Women’s Flyweight Bout 

James: The UFC 315 main card highlights ranked women’s flyweights Alexa Grasso and Natalia Silva. Grasso is coming off a trilogy with Valentina Shevchenko where she finished with a 1-1-1 record. In that span, she won the title, fought to a draw, and lost the title. That run has cemented Grasso as a champion, but she failed to hold it. Still, she is 31-years-old. Her run in the sport is far from over. This matchup is her first step toward returning to the title picture. Silva, 28, has proven to be a premier talent in the division. She holds a perfect 6-0 record and has climbed the rankings. Now, she can defeat a former champion and earn a title fight. 

Grasso is a fighter who relies on her boxing skills. The base of her approach is built around her jab and straight. This eventually allows her to get more aggressive with hooks. Plus, she is willing to sit in the pocket and trade with opponents. This is generally successful because of her boxing skills and power. In the grappling realm, Grasso has tragic takedown defense and she struggles to get back to her feet. Her saving grace is that she has an opportunistic submission game that helps her present a grappling threat. 

Silva is an outstanding striker with a massive toolbox of weapons. The best aspect of her striking is her kicks. She can throw kicks to all three levels with both legs. Additionally, she throws front kicks and can throw spinning attacks. She is not a world-class boxer, but she does have quality hands. On the outside, she actively throws straight punches. In the pocket, she throws with opponents and consistently lands. This set of offensive weapons is incredibly dangerous because she mixes punches and kicks into combinations, throws kicks from close range, and consistently shows different weapons. Plus, she is quick, accurate, and has good movement. The flaw in her striking is that her offensive-first approach leaves her open to being hit. 

This UFC 315 matchup is a compelling fight to preview. Silva has clear paths to having long periods of success, but it will not come without a cost. I expect Silva to be active with his punches and kicks. That said, her high pace will force Grasso to throw strikes in return. In those moments, the former champion could land big punches on the inside. The question is whether those punches will outweigh long periods of range success from Silva. Ultimately, I predict Silva will land many kicks from range while using movement to avoid Grasso’s pressure. This should allow Silva to deal more damage. Eventually, that will build and could open the door to landing a finish. I will take Silva by round-three knockout.

Anthony: Silva via decision

Jerry: Silva via decision

UFC Des Moines: Five Things We Learned

No. 11 Jose Aldo vs. No. 14 Aiemann Zahabi- Bantamweight Bout 

James: At UFC 315, Jose Aldo will fight Aiemann Zahabi. Aldo is a legend of the sport who was once the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. That was over a decade ago, but he is still a high-level fighter. In his recent return to the UFC, he has gone 1-1. Both of those fighters were against ranked opposition. Zahabi, the brother of legendary MMA coach Fares Zahabi, has rightfully earned ranked opposition. Currently, he is 6-2 in the UFC and is riding a five-fight win streak. 

The current version of Aldo is a much more boxing-heavy fighter in comparison to his prime. He is a great boxer who attacks the head and body with vicious intention. This is also done alongside intelligent shot selection. In the defensive realm, he does not get his clean. Altogether, this all works together to make him a difficult striker to compete with. In the grappling realm, it is a mixed bag. On one hand, he has world-class takedown defense and functional offensive grappling. The issue is that he can be held up against the fence. This can break his offensive rhythm and force him to lose rounds. 

Zahabi is a solid fighter with a lot of skills. In the striking skills, he has an intelligent approach and limits his mistakes. He also has strong range management and understands movement. In the striking realm, he has solid hands. His overall striking success spikes because his movement allows him to dictate exchanges and land counters.  

This UFC 315 bout previews to be a close fight. The striking exchanges should favor Aldo. Although, Zahabi has the edge in cardio and can spend a lot of top in advantageous clinch positions. I lean toward Aldo doing more damage in the early rounds; however, it should be a close fight. I will take Aldo by decision.

Anthony: Aldo via decision

Jerry: Aldo via decision

(C) Valentina Shevchenko vs. No. 2 Manon Fiorot- Women’s Flyweight Title Fight 

James: The UFC 315 co-main event features a women’s flyweight title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot. Shevchenko is looking to kickstart her second UFC title reign. In her first stint as champion, she defended the belt seven times. Now, at 37, she is working to add to her legacy. Fiorot wants to break through and win the title at 35. In her professional MMA career, she sports a 12-1 record. That includes a 7-0 UFC tenure. 

Shevchenko is at an interesting spot in her career. At her current age and experience level, she is regressing. Still, she has the skills to compete in championship fights. Recently, that has largely been because of her grappling offense. She is aggressively hunting takedowns and working to strong positions. Her striking skills should not be undersold, however. She is still a quality striker with solid boxing, good kicks, and impressive IQ. The biggest issue with Shevchenko is that she is clearly on a physical decline. This is most evident in her speed and durability. 

Fiorot is a massive fighter for the women’s flyweight weight class. At five-foot-seven, she is tall with a muscular frame. That makes her difficult to grapple with. She can defend takedowns, get to clinch positions, and punish her opponents with knees. At range, she throws a mix of straight punches, sidekicks, and head kicks. If he opponent attempts to close the distance, she throws counter hooks in an attempt to stop her opponent’s pressure. 

In my eyes, the UFC 315 main event preview has to favor Fiorot. Considering the decline she has shown over the years, it is hard to side with Shevchenko. It is a miracle she left the Alexa Grasso trilogy with a 1-1-1 record. A lot of her success in that matchup came because of Grasso’s flawed skillset. Furthermore, she won a robbery decision against Talia Santos. In this fight, her speed regression will be exposed. That is present alongside a massive physicality edge in favor of Fiorot. I expect Fiorot to have success at a distance and smash Shevchenko in the clinch. I will take Fiorot by third-round knockout.

Anthony: Fiorot via KO/TKO

Jerry: Fiorot via decision

UFC 315 Best Bets

(C) Belal Muhammad vs. No. 5 Jack Della Maddalena- Welterweight Title Fight 

James: The UFC 315 main event features a welterweight championship fight between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. This bout will be Muhammad’s first attempt to defend the title. The 36-year-old is getting a late jump on a potential title run but is riding a 12-fight unbeaten streak. That run includes impressive wins over Leon Edwards, Sean Brady, and others. Della Maddalena is getting this title fight while Shavkat Rakhmonov recovers from an injury. Regardless, has earned the right to compete for the UFC title. The 28-year-old is riding a 17-fight win streak that features seven UFC victories. Plus, he has proven to be a violent fighter that chases a finish.

Muhammad is a well-rounded fighter with strong game planning and respectable physical attributes. On the feet, he has a good mix of offensive boxing and impactful kicks. He is not a world-class striker; however, he is quality. Additionally, he is intelligent enough to exploit his opponent’s weaknesses. As a grappler, he can control fights against the fence, but he has shown a good arsenal of takedowns to get the fight to the ground. In the top position, he is control-heavy and does not take a ton of risks. This set of skills allows him to adapt his game to an opponent. Plus, he has size, physical strength, and cardio. Those attributes ensure he can compete with any opponent. 

Della Maddalena is an outstanding boxer. At a distance, he sticks his opponents with a jab and follows with a straight. Although, he is best in the pocket. He attacks the head and body, throws combinations, and does serious damage. The biggest question with Della Maddalena is his grappling. Thankfully, he has Craig Jones, a world-class BJJ practitioner, on his team. In the course of his UFC tenure, he has made serious grappling improvements. The question is if his grappling will be ready for the championship stage. 

The UFC 314 main event preview largely depends on Della Maddalena’s grappling. Muhammad will test that portion of his game. This begins with his takedowns but extends to position and control once the fight gets to the ground. If Della Maddalena has a respectable grappling performance, he may walk away with the title. Although, Muhammad is an intelligent striker who could have his own success. It is unlikely he will win pocket boxing exchanges, but he could have success from range. This will likely be a result of movement and kicks. 

The UFC 315 main event prediction favors Muhammad. The biggest reasons are his well-roundedness and intelligence. Despite not being a flashy finisher, he is smart, limits mistakes, and attempts to exploit his opponent’s weaknesses. That gives him a leg up against a fighter who depends on pocket boxing exchanges to have big moments. I expect Muhammad to craft an intelligent game plan based on range management, movement, kicks, and grappling offense to win rounds. I will take Muhammad by decision.

Anthony: Muhammad via decision

Jerry: Della Maddalena via KO/TKO

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