UFC 315: Preview, Betting Trends & Prop Picks
The UFC returns to Montreal for the first time in a decade, and Saturday night's main card at the Bell Centre features a pair of intriguing championship fights.
The card is topped by a welterweight bout with champion Belal Muhammad taking on No. 5-ranked Australian challenger Jack Della Maddalena.
Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is making his first title defense after suffering an injury late last year. Muhammad upset former champion Leon Edwards last July in the main event of UFC 304 to usher in a new era at 170 pounds.
Muhammad, a Chicago native, said Thursday that Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will see a new version none of Muhammad's previous opponents have seen before: "Canelo Hands."
"Jack goes down in three (rounds)," Muhammad told reporters at the pre-fight presser.
Della Maddalena didn't take too kindly to Muhammad's words, dismissing the notion that Muhammad won't use his potent wrestling base to win the fight.
"That's not gonna happen," Della Maddalena said.
The public is split on the fight, with Muhammad backed by 51 percent of the total bets at BetMGM. That has contributed to his pre-fight odds shifting from -250 to -180, although Muhammad has drawn 71 percent of the total money wagered.
Della Maddalena hasn't lost in nine years, compiling an unblemished UFC mark after earning a UFC contract by winning his Dana White Contender Series bout against Ange Loosa in September 2021. However, he was the +145 underdog on Friday after opening at +200.
The main card festivities get underway at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on pay-per-view.
OTHER MAIN CARD FIGHTS
The co-headliner sees Valentina Shevchenko begin her second stint as UFC flyweight champion against French native Manon Fiorot.
Shevchenko (24-4-1 MMA, 13-3-1 UFC) exacted revenge last September against Alexa Grasso to regain the belt. Meanwhile, Fiorot (12-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) looks to become the first Frenchwoman to win a UFC title and extend her promotional win streak to eight.
Fiorot is the -135 favorite, but it's Shevchenko who has drawn 79 percent of the bets and 62 percent of the money while seeing her odds lengthen slightly from +100 to +110. This has been the most bet-on fight in terms of total bets on Saturday's 12-fight card.
--Jose Aldo (32-9, 14-8) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (12-2, 6-2), featherweight
This fight was moved from bantamweight at weigh-ins. That's the division Aldo has fought in for more than five years, but the switch on Friday came as a surprise. An official reason had yet to be given, although it could well be because Aldo was struggling to make the weight cut. He weighed in at 143 pounds to Zahabi's 142.
Aldo was the -210 favorite as of Friday morning, although Zahabi had drawn 70 percent of the bets and 61 percent of the money. The fight has been of modest interest with the public, ranking as only the fifth most bet-on fight on Saturday's card.
--Alexa Grasso (16-4-1, 8-4-1) vs. Natalia Silva (18-5-1, 6-0), flyweight
After a trilogy against Shevchenko over the past three years, Grasso will step into the Octagon against Silva. Grasso, who lost the title last fall, said "it's good to have a new opponent."
The Brazilian Silva has yet to lose in the promotion, with her unblemished record including a win over former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade.
Grasso has garnered 76 percent of the bets as the +200 underdog, while Silva has drawn 53 percent of the total money while seeing her odds as the favorite shift from -190 to -250.
--Benoit Saint-Denis (13-3, 5-3) vs. Kyle Prepolec (18-8, 0-2), lightweight
Prepolec stepped in on a week's notice to save the fight for Saint-Denis after Mateusz Gamrot pulled out.
It's understandably receiving the most one-sided action at BetMGM, with Prepolec backed by 85 percent of the bets and 95 percent of the money as the public hopes for a massive upset by the +725 underdog. Meanwhile, Saint-Denis' odds have held as the overwhelming -1200 favorite.
TOP PROP PICK
--Jack Della Maddalena by KO/TKO or DQ (+300 at BetMGM): This has been the book's most popular prop on the card, followed by Muhammad at -115 to win by decision or technical decision.
--Field Level Media
Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh sets two world swimming records in three days
Canada's Summer McIntosh celebrates winning the gold medal in the women's 200-meter individual medley at the 2024 Paris Games. McIntosh set a world record in that event Monday night. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press) On Monday night, Summer McIntosh won the 200-meter individual medley at the 2025 Canadian swimming trials to set her second world record in just three days. She had already achieved one world record at the trials in Victoria. Advertisement McIntosh won the 200-meter individual medley in 2 minutes, 5.7 seconds. The previous world record of 2:06.12, set by Hungary's Katinka Hosszú, had stood for 10 years. After shaving a second off her previous best time on the backstroke leg, McIntosh was still a tenth of a second off Hosszú's previous record pace at the final turn. But McIntosh crushed the freestyle leg in 29.65 seconds, another personal best, to finish in world-record time. 'It's been one of those records that's always been in the back of my mind since trials two years ago,' the 18-year-old Toronto native said afterward. "I've been knocking on the door on this one. I've just tried to chip away, chip away at it. To finally do it, it's kind of like 'Wow, I've finally got that done.'' Read more: Lopez: Three years away from the Olympics, L.A. is tripping over hurdles and trying to play catchup Advertisement Two days earlier, McIntosh had reclaimed the world record in the 400 freestyle. She first set the mark with 3:56.18 in 2023, but was bested the same year by Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus' 3:55.38. But on Saturday, McIntosh was back on top of the world after swimming a 3:54.18. 'That last 100, I'm usually really, really hurting. But I flipped at the 200, and I was just cruising," McIntosh said. "I knew I was having a strong swim and I could tell by the crowd and the way they were cheering that I was probably close to the world record, so I really tried to push that last part for them.' In between those two historic swims, McIntosh also improved on her Canadian record in the 800 freestyle, with a time of 8:05.07. U.S. swimming star Katie Ledecky holds the world record in that event after finishing in 8:04.12 at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last month. McIntosh won four medals at the Paris Olympics last year — three golds (200 butterfly, 200 and 400 IM) and one silver (400 freestyle). She holds the world record in the 400 IM; she swam it in 4:24.38 at last year's Canadian swimming finals. Advertisement With three more days of competition, is there a chance she'll grab a fourth world record before the event is over? Maybe. The 400 IM is scheduled for Wednesday. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Queen's Club 2025: Emma Raducanu breezes through first round as Katie Boulter survives wobble
moving on: both raducanu and boulter progress to the round of 16 (John Walton/PA Wire) Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, and Heather Watson all started their grass court seasons on the right foot today with first-round wins at the Queen's Club Championships. Women compete at Queen's this year for the first time since 1973, and the hosts welcomed the Tour to South-West London in some style. Advertisement The British No2 Raducanu bounced back from a disappointing second-round exit at Roland Garros with a comfortable 6-1 6-2 win over Spain's Cristina Bucsa. The Spaniard had won the only previous meeting between the pair in the first round of this year's Singapore Open, but this time she was no match for the 22-year-old wildcard and Raducanu strolled to a comfortable win. "I'm still trying to find my groove on this surface," Raducanu said afterwards. "I knew today would be a very difficult match, I lost to Cristina earlier in the year, so I was trying to make sure that didn't happen again and fight to get myself into the second round." Advertisement Raducanu is likely to face a tougher task in the next round, where she could meet current Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova if the Czech seventh seed overcomes Slovak Rebecca Sramkova. cheery: emma raducanu starts the grass season on form (Getty Images) For Boulter, the going was not so smooth. She was pushed all the way by Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic, requiring a deciding set to win 7-6 (4) 1-6 6-4. The 28-year-old British No1, who secured a doubles victory alongside compatriot Raducanu on Monday, was broken in her opening game, but found herself in a position to serve for the set after taking a 5-3 advantage. But Tomljanovic immediately broke back, forcing an opening set tiebreak in which she was edged out by an emphatic winner from Boulter. Advertisement The qualifier seized control in the second set, winning five straight games to force a decider, and made it six games in a row when she claimed the first game of the third. comeback: katie boulter fought back after a tough second set to beat Ajla Tomljanovic (AP) Boulter began to swing the contest in her favour, breaking Tomljanovic's serve three times to make it 5-4 and, with the Australian serving to stay in it, digging deep to see herself through after nearly two-and-a-half hours. Earlier, Watson set up a second-round meeting with fourth seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina after upsetting world No27 Yulia Putintseva, 107 places above her in the rankings, 6-4 6-3. She won all four of her break points, closing proceedings in just an hour and 22 minutes. Francesca Jones hit six double faults as she was beaten in straight sets 6-2 6-4 by McCartney Kessler of the USA. Additional reporting: PA, Reuters
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Aussie teen eclipses Leisel Jones feat as poolside interview leaves fans stunned
Teen sensation Sienna Toohey has broken down pool side after collecting her ticket to the World Swimming Championships in Singapore having become the youngest Australian to break the 1:07 mark in the 100m breaststroke. Toohey has long been touted as a future swimming star for the Australian Dolphins having recently broken Liesel Jones' longstanding age group record in the 100m breaststroke. And the 16-year-old has delivered in front of her swimming rivals at the Australian world championships trials this week having eclipsed Ella Ramsay to win the 100m breaststroke on Tuesday night. Toohey edged out in front of Olympic silver medallist Ramsay to finish with 1:06.55 and book her ticket to Singapore later this year. She finished in front if Ramsay, 1:06.86, and Sienna Harben, 1:07.02, in a close swim. And immediately after the race, Toohey joined Aussie swimming icon Cate Campbell poolside for a chat. And the 16-year-old was overcome with emotions have realised she had achieved a lifelong dream. "I am just so excited because I have worked so hard," Toohey said as she broke down in tears. "I was so nervous, I am just so happy I have done them proud. "I have been training in Canberra for the last six weeks, because my club has taken a break, so it has been very hard. So coming out here I just knew I wanted to get it because I have made a lot of sacrifices and so has my family. So it's a lot. I know my brothers would miss me so much. They've just given up so much for me to be able to do this." Ramsay was a little of her PB and was frustrated with her race knowing she hadn't undertaken too much sprint training heading into the trials. Regardless, Australia has a new face on the swimming scene with Toohey slowly working her way up the ranks. In April, Toohey broke Jones' 23-old record of 1:07.31 to become the fastest 16-year-old. However, her latest achievement has seen her eclipse all other Australians and record the 9th fastest time ever for a junior. Not even the legendary Jones achieved this feat in the juniors. Although she does have some way to go to break Jones' PB of 1:05.09 in the 100m breaststroke, which she achieved in 2005. "All of these people being my idols, now I get to be on the team with them," Toohey said after her swim. "These are people that I was watching two years ago, saying I want to be like them." The moment 16-year-old Sienna Toohey broke through to cement her senior Dolphins selection with a massive PB 🤯🔥🐬With mum watching on, the girl from Albury won the women's 100m breaststroke (1:06.55) at the Australian Swimming sensational Sienna 👏🥹 🔗… — Australian Dolphins Swim Team (@DolphinsAUS) June 10, 2025 16 years old and going to her first World Champs as a senior Dolphin!Sienna Toohey won the 100m breaststroke at the Aussie Swimming Trials last night in 1:06.55, a PB of more than half a second, which has secured the ticket to Singapore.#TeamAUS | @DolphinsAUS | @SwimmingAUS — AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) June 11, 2025 Sienna Toohey climbs to ninth place all time — nuotostat (@nuotostat) June 10, 2025 Guys, we've got a good'un here. 16yo Sienna Toohey is going to be a star! — John Dean (@JohnDean_) June 10, 2025 SIENNA TOOHEY OMG A 16YO JUST QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CHAMPS IN BREASTSTROKE WE FINALLY HAVE A GOOD BREASTROKER — TeamThiem (@MedvedevMeddler) June 10, 2025 Having been around Toohey during her time at the Australian trials, five-time Olympic gold medallist Kaylee McKeown has offered some advice for the teenager. Having been through a similar career trajectory as the girl from Albury, McKeown claimed Toohey needs to try and enjoy as much of her development as possible as she joins the Australian Dolphins. "Just to enjoy yourself," McKeown said when offering advice to Toohey. "The more you be serious, the more you're harsh on yourself, you keep just digging yourself in a bit of a hole and it's quite hard to get out of." Only this week, McKeown offered an insight into her own struggles after the Paris Olympics. The Aussie sensation won four individual gold medals in Paris, but admitted the sudden change after an Olympics took a toll on her mental health as she took a little time away from the sport.
