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Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
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
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC Cuts Ties With Veteran Heavyweight Following Miserable Loss
The UFC has seen enough of Don'Tale Mayes. The veteran heavyweight who was ranked as recently as March was removed from the promotion's roster, per FullContactMTWF. Mayes just lost a massively lopsided unanimous decision to Thomas Petersen on May 3 at UFC Des Moines. It was Mayes' third straight loss and his fourth in his last five fights. Quite honestly, I'm not sure how Mayes ever ascended into the Top 15. Perhaps the fact that he was ranked for months this year is an indictment on the rankings system, the UFC heavyweight division or a little of both. In any case, Mayes' most recent loss dropped his professional record to a modest 11-9 with a 4-7 mark with one no contest in the UFC. If there was any doubt about whether the UFC was justified in ending Mayes' tenure with the promotion, fans need only to watch the complete dominance Petersen displayed over Lord Kong. Petersen secured the victory with scores of 30-25, 30-26 and 30-26 from the three Octagon-side judges. When you also consider Petersen was coming off a first-round KO loss to Shamil Gaziev in his last fight, the defeat couldn't have been more telling for Mayes. The 33-year-old who has been a training partner of heavyweight champion Jon Jones had his best moments in the UFC when he earned his spot in 2019 on the Dana White Contender Series with a first-round KO win over Ricardo Prasel. Mayes also scored back-to-back wins over Roque Martinez and Josh Parisian in 2020-21, and another victory over Andrei Arlovski in June 2023. Mayes is still young for a heavyweight, so there is a chance he could land elsewhere. But for now, he's had his last fight with the UFC. Meanwhile, Petersen is looking to use his win over Mayes as springboard into his next fight. Petersen called out rising heavyweight Tallison Teixeira and Mick Parkin after his win. Because he's unranked, it is unlikely the UFC would match him with No. 13 Teixeira or No. 14 Parkin, as both of those men are seen as potential contenders down the road. Petersen could hope for a meeting with No. 15 Martin Buday who recently broke into the rankings, or perhaps another heavyweight eager to get a number next to his name. The UFC heads to the Centre Bell Arena in Montreal, Quebec, Canada for UFC 315 on Saturday, May 10. The pay-per-view features a pair of world championship fights. UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad will defend his title against Jack Della Maddalena. UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will defend her crown against Manon Fiorot. The winner could easily face current UFC strawweight champion, Weili Zhang later this year. Here is a look at the complete card.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
UFC middleweight contender Bo Nickal reflects on his devastating loss to Reinier de Ridder - 'Grateful for the highs and lows'
Bo Nickal. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC The first defeat of the career hits hard, especially when the results come along with criticisms from the fans. Wrestler-turned-fighter and UFC prospect Bo Nickal suffered the first-ever loss of his pro-MMA career against Reinier de Ridder . The middleweight contender 's loss was met with extreme criticism from the MMA fan community, amidst the support he received from fellow MMA fighters like Henry Cejudo as well as his team, the American Top Team . In a recent post on Instagram, Bo Nickal broke his silence over the unexpected defeat. His post indicated the preparations for a strong comeback that would solidify the chances of a title run for the fighter. Bo Nickal suffers his first-ever loss of his pro-MMA career via a knockout by Reinier de Ridder Bo Nickal put up an impressive fight in the Dana White Contender Series , securing submission wins over competitors like Zachary Borrego and Donovan Beard. The fighter went on to establish himself within the promotion, defeating middleweight contenders like Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn and Cody Brundage. The winning streak of the fighter was, however, cut short at the UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo on May 3, 2025, when Reinier de Ridder defeated Nickal via a knockout in the second round. Upon the devastating loss, fans called out the fighter for previously wanting to fight Khamzat Chimaev. The community instead believed that the fighter should take some time to evaluate his position within the division and prepare accordingly for his next bout. Despite the criticism, veteran fighters like Henry Cejudo came in support of the fighter. Cejudo wrote, 'The wrestling world has taken a hit today. Keep your head up @NoBickal this is not the end. I got finished by Demetrious Johnson with a similar body shot and I went on to avenge that loss and become champion. You are capable of doing the same. Get back on your horse brother #UFCDesMoines' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World Articles Vally Undo Amidst the mixed reactions, Nickal finally decides to break his silence upon the devastating loss. 'Grateful for the highs and lows. I'll be back.' The fighter wrote on one of his Instagram posts. Also read: MMA fans shocked after Sam Alvey's knock out win at Karate Combat 54 - 'I can't believe this' Nickal's post indicates a strong determination for the fighter to legitimize his stance within the welterweight division. A celebrated wrestler, the fighter aims at securing the belt in MMA in one of the top promotions of the sport, UFC.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC Des Moines Card: De Ridder Vs. Nickal Odds, Picks And Predictions
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Bo Nickal of the United States of America reacts after his ... More unanimous decision victory against Paul Craig of Scotland in a middleweight fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) The UFC is in Des Moines, Iowa, for this week's UFC Fight Night card. In the main event of the UFC Des Moines fight card, former interim UFC bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen faces ex-UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in a 135-pound matchup. In the high-stakes co-main event, Reiner de Ridder faces Bo Nickal in a middleweight contest that will leave one fighter with their first loss under the UFC banner. Below, we look at betting odds, line movement, picks, and predictions for the De Ridder vs. Nickal matchup. Inglewood, CA - January 18: Reinier de Ridder (blue) celebrates his victory over Kevin Holland (red) ... More during their bout at UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on Saturday, January 18, 2024. de Ridder won the fight by first round submission. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Reinier de Ridder (19-2) joined the UFC in 2024. De Ridder was a two-division champion with ONE, claiming titles in the middleweight and light heavyweight weight classes. A talented grappler with 11 career submission victories before inking his UFC deal, De Ridder is 2-0 with the UFC, picking up submission wins over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland. De Ridder's victory over Holland put him in the official UFC middleweight rankings, where he sits in the No. 13 spot. I wrote the following about De Ridder after his win over Holland, "Reinier de Ridder looked excellent in his second UFC fight. The former two-division ONE champion won in his UFC debut over Gerald Meerschaert in November, but he looked a bit reserved and willing to accept positions as they came. He did not resemble that fighter at all at UFC 311, dominating Kevin Holland. 'De Ridder scored a takedown early in the first round and then used his striking and grappling skills to control Holland, opening a cut on Holland before securing a rear-naked choke submission.' NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Bo Nickal of the United States of America punches Paul Craig of ... More Scotland in a middleweight fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Bo Nickal (7-0) joined the UFC in 2023 after one fight on an iKON FC card and two bouts on the Dana White Contender Series. Nickal won those contests by stoppage in the first round (two submissions, one KO). None of the matchups went past 62 seconds of the first round. Since his debut with the promotion in March 2023, Nickal has compiled a 4-0 UFC record with two submissions, one knockout and one decision. In his most recent outing, Nickal went the three-round distance with Paul Craig on the pay-per-view portion of the UFC 309 fight card. Known for his wrestling, Nickal was a three-time NCAA champion under Cael Sanderson at Penn State, did not attempt a single takedown against Craig. Instead, he focused on developing his striking game in that matchup. I wrote the following after that win: Bo Nickal went 15 minutes for the first time in his MMA career against Paul Craig at UFC 309. While Nickal looked decent against Craig, the fight showed that he needs some more seasoning before he's ready to compete against the elite of the UFC's middleweight division. Nickal needs to work on his striking and distance management. Craig, who is not an elite striker, did a decent job in keeping Nickal at distance, but Nickal was able to land with power, by throwing some somewhat sloppy strikes. Nickal came into UFC 309 with a lot of hype behind him. I don't think that hype disappears after UFC 309, but Nickal's performance showed he has a lot of work to do. Nickal did not break into the UFC middleweight rankings with his victory over Craig. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: (R-L) Bo Nickal of the United States of America fights Paul Craig ... More of Scotland in a middleweight fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) Nickal opened as a -250 betting favorite over De Ridder, who was a +210 betting underdog when odds were first released for this matchup. Today, according to BetOnline, Nickal is a -330 favorite over the +270 De Ridder. Age: 34 Height: 6' 4' Reach: 78' Stance: Southpaw Age: 29 Height: 6' 1' Reach: 76' Stance: Southpaw NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: (R-L) Bo Nickal of the United States of America punches Paul Craig ... More of Scotland in a middleweight fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by) Neither of these fighters are known for their striking, but Nickal has at least made an effort to improve that aspect of his MMA game, and that could be a difference maker in this matchup. While De Ridder will probably have a grappling advantage over Nickal if he can put the NCAA wrestler on the mat, getting someone like Nickal to the ground is going to be an enormous problem for De Ridder. Nickal and his team likely know that De Ridder is not a good striker, and their goal will be to keep the fight standing. The betting pick is for Nickal to beat De Ridder by knockout. Saturday, May 3 Prelims: 7:00 p.m. ET Main Card: 10:00 p.m. ET Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, IA Prelims: ESPN+ Main Card: ESPN2 Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate Ryan Loder vs. Azamat Bekoev Marina Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson Gaston Bolaños vs. Quang Le Thomas Petersen vs. Don'Tale Mayes Juliana Miller vs. Ivana Petrović We will have more on the UFC Des Moines fight card as fight night approaches.
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Brandon Moreno outpoints Steve Erceg at Fight Night
Former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno erased a stigma from his last UFC Mexico outing, winning a unanimous decision against Steve Erceg in a flyweight title eliminator bout in Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event, sweeping the cards 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 over the former flyweight title challenger in Mexico City. Although the fight was closely competitive, Moreno won all but one round - Round 3 - on all three cards as Moreno (23-8-2 MMA, 11-4-2 UFC) kept the fight standing and made the Australian-born Erceg come to him the entire fight. Despite Erceg (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) hanging in the pocket, it wasn't enough to overcome the home crowd and spring the upset. Moreno called out chief business officer Hunter Campbell regarding guidance for his next fight. Although Moreno didn't name a would-be opponent explicitly, he did request to be part of UFC 320, scheduled for Sept. 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico. "I think I can move the needle," Moreno said after the fight. Erceg has dropped three in a row after a rapid UFC start, going back to the drawing board again. "I'll be back," Erceg said. Manuel Torres overwhelmed 12-year UFC veteran Drew Dober to secure a first-round TKO in the night's co-main event, where Dober took at least 16 unanswered shots to the side of the head before the referee stopped the fight. Torres (16-3, 4-1) is back in the win column for the first time in over a year, whereas Dober (27-15, 13-11) has lost four of his last five dating to May 2023. Flyweight Edgar Chairez needed one punch to pounce on CJ Vergara to set up an eventual face crank submission victory at 2:30 of Round 1. Chairez (12-6, 2-2-1) finally got off the snide after a bumpy start to his UFC career, winning two of his last three bouts to get to .500 in the promotion. Vergara (12-7-1, ) had his losing streak extended to three, going nearly two years without a promotional win. Raul Rosas Jr. survived a late scare from Vince Morales to fend off a third-round D'arce choke submission and win a unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. Rosas Jr. (11-1, 5-1) ignited his hometown crowd to earn his fifth win over his last six appearances, using his crisp boxing to frustrate Morales (16-10, 3-8), who had not earned a win in MMA since last August before being re-signed to the promotion shortly thereafter. It was Morales' third straight loss. Dana White Contender Series alumni David Martinez emphatically won his UFC debut, needing just 4:36 of the opening round to earn a TKO win against Saimon Oliveira at bantamweight. Martinez (12-1, 1-0) has won eight in a row since losing his first fight nearly four years ago. Meanwhile, Oliveira (18-6, 0-3) is still searching for his first UFC victory and has lost three straight fights. The UFC Fight Night main card got underway with flyweight prospect Kevin Borjas earning a decision win against Ronaldo Rodriguez, taking the cards 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Borjas (10-3, 1-2) earned his first UFC win after dropping his initial two outings, while Rodriguez (17-3, ) saw a seven-fight winning streak halted dating to November 2020. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
