UFC 315 roundtable: Does a Belal Muhammad win help or hurt the UFC’s plans?

Belal Muhammad’s first title protection was alleged to occur 5 months in the past. Who knew its delay would find yourself muddying the waters in three divisions?

At UFC 310, Muhammad was alleged to defend the welterweight championship in opposition to the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov, however a foot an infection compelled Muhammad out and loads has modified since then. A number of professional challengers have stepped up at 170 kilos, together with Muhammad’s UFC 315 adversary Jack Della Maddalena, after which there’s the thrill swirling round Muhammad’s buddy, light-weight king Islam Makhachev.

Ought to Muhammad lose Saturday, that would open up a path for Makhachev to maneuver as much as 170 kilos to struggle Della Maddalena. But when that occurs, what will we do with Ilia Topuria, who not too long ago vacated the featherweight title with the expectation he may struggle for a belt at 155 pouds? If Muhammad wins, does that make Makhachev vs. Topuria the apparent struggle to make (particularly with UFC 317 nonetheless needing a essential occasion) or does Topuria nonetheless need to beat a prime light-weight contender to earn his alternative?

UFC 315 isn’t essentially the most hyped card of the yr, however MMA Combating’s Alexander Okay. Lee, Mike Heck, and Jed Meshew sat down to determine what storylines may emerge from the UFC’s return to Montreal, which additionally may see flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko arrange a superfight with Zhang Weili.

1. What’s the perfect essential occasion end result for the UFC’s future plans?

Lee: It’s no secret that I’m an advocate for chaos and meaning Jack Della Maddalena has to win.

With respect to “JDM,” this wasn’t even alleged to be his alternative. He actually has the credentials for it, however Shavkat Rakhmonov has clearly been the No. 1 alternative for someday and have been it not for accidents holding him on the sidelines, he’d be the one receiving the chance to show the division on its head.

Because it stands, our hopes for a large shift lie on Della Maddalena’s shoulders. I need to see him make that first domino fall, so Islam Makhachev can go up, Ilia Topuria can struggle another person for a vacant light-weight title, and Makhachev can drop again all the way down to light-weight sooner or later to lastly settle the Topuria rivalry.

Heck: Each outcomes are fascinating, however I’ll say it’s Muhammad retaining.

After all, I might be wildly intrigued by Islam Makhachev transferring as much as welterweight to try to win a second belt — and hoping he’d vacate the light-weight title — however Muhammad is vastly underrated, and I’m curious to see how his title run may look if he beats JDM, then fights Rakhmonov, then Ian Machado Garry, and all the different potentialities primarily based on what the subsequent couple of months appear to be.

Additionally, there are nonetheless A TON of fascinating light-weight title fights for Makhachev, and I’m nonetheless holding out hope for Arman Tsarukyan getting his likelihood in some unspecified time in the future.

Meshew: The “greatest” end result for the UFC has virtually a zero % likelihood of taking place, however since that’s what you requested for, right here it’s: Belal Muhammad defeats Jack Della Maddalena, will get on the mic and instantly vacates his title to maneuver as much as 185 kilos.

Muhammad is an undeniably nice fighter, however we don’t need to fake like he’s a champion that UFC is determined to have. His fights are inclined to not be that thrilling and for as a lot as he’s tried to be charming on the mic, it’s doesn’t fairly recover from. Having Muhammad as champ is one thing the UFC can tolerate however won’t ever be stoked about.

So if he decides to willingly drop the belt, that’s clearly excellent news for the UFC, who can now put Islam Makhachev in a welterweight title struggle, however as a substitute of it being in opposition to JDM, now it’s in opposition to Shavkat Rakhmonov. That’s about pretty much as good of a struggle because the promotion can ask for.

And hey, I do know Dricus du Plessis says he’s combating Khamzat Chimaev later this yr, however you by no means know. Muhammad has been attempting to struggle Chimaev for ages, so if the UFC needed to strap an interim title to that struggle and put it at Worldwide Struggle Week, I believe individuals would come round to the thought.

2. Valentina Shevchenko beats Manon Fiorot. Her subsequent title protection is in opposition to…

Photograph by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Meshew: There’s an excellent case for Natalia Silva if she beats Alexa Grasso, however I simply don’t see that taking place. Silva doesn’t have the juice but, and there’s a sneaky line build up at flyweight. My guess is the subsequent flyweight title challenger is the winner of the Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber struggle at this finish of this month. For one, it’s a essential occasion which is normally a greater indicator of being within the title image, and it’s additionally two larger names than Silva has proper now.

Blanchfield was hyped as the subsequent massive factor, and he or she’s nonetheless simply 25 years outdated. And Barber hyped herself up as the subsequent massive factor and has lastly turned the nook to really good fighter. I feel the UFC will favor the identify and hype of both girl in comparison with the hardcore fan darling that’s Silva.

Lee: Alexa Grasso tetralogy! I child, I child.

Very like with my JDM reply, I need to see some motion in these divisions, and meaning Natalia Silva placing on a present in opposition to the previous champion and cementing (icing?) her spot because the No. 1 contender. Silva has a professional likelihood to not solely be a recent identify for Shevchenko to struggle, she would possibly simply have the talents to beat her—or on the very least, catch Shevchenko in a decline whereas Silva approaches her peak.

After that, I nonetheless see loads of compelling names for Shevchenko – particularly if Jasmine Jasudavicius knocks off Jessica Andrade on Saturday – and I’m all the time in favor of champions holding court docket moderately than chasing (or maybe welcoming) fighters from different divisions.

Heck: It needs to be “Natty Ice” with a win over Alexa Grasso, however it doesn’t matter what occurs, Zhang Weili will likely be subsequent as a result of time is working out in placing that struggle collectively.

The ladies’s divisions within the UFC are aggressive, however they desperately want a spark, and reserving a struggle between Shevchenko and Weili will surely present one. Silva would seemingly have to attend for her likelihood to struggle for the belt, but when she beats Grasso – and I imagine she’s going to – both struggle could be fairly darn massive for her.

3. Title one fighter who may steal the present in Montreal?

Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC by way of Getty Photographs

Heck: I already talked about her within the earlier query, it’s “Natty Ice,”

Silva is enjoyable as hell when she competes, plus she has a contagious character that would actually put her over to the fan base. If she beats Grasso, it won’t be in a boring trend, plus she’ll reduce a post-fight promo that can get individuals excited for her. Straightforward decide for me.

Meshew: I’m so upset. The reply was clearly Benoit Saint Denis and, my man, Joel Alvarez, however now it seems like that struggle is off. If Reiner de Ridder hadn’t simply beat the soul out of Bo Nickal, unhappiness would reign within the Meshew family proper now. However with that Saint Denis and Alvarez now not an choice, I’ll default to a different very on model alternative: the GOAT, Jose Aldo.

Aldo faces Aiemann Zahabi in one of many worst items of matchmaking in trendy MMA historical past however that doesn’t matter. Aldo is among the 5 best fighters to ever stay and each time he steps again on the market he solely reinforces how absurdly nice he’s. Title me one other MMA fighter who continues to be beating elite competitors a decade after their prime and doing so in a tougher weight class? I’ll wait.

Aldo goes to come back out and as soon as once more show his greatness and when he does, the UFC goes to shock the world. Dana will come to the post-fight press convention and acknowledge that they’ve mishandled this closing chapter of his profession with insane and horrible matchups, and likewise screwed him out of a bantamweight title shot by giving it to crippled T.J. Dillashaw for some purpose.

And so, in consideration of their repeated and egregious f*ck ups, and the truth that Aldo gave present champion Merab Dvalishvili essentially the most tough struggle of his present run, the promotion is pulling (presumably) injured Sean O’Malley from the principle occasion of UFC 316 and changing him with Jose Aldo. Righteousness prevails!

Lee: Jasmine Jasudavicius, that is your second.

The St. Catharines native is a late bloomer, however she’s made up for misplaced time with a collection of spectacular performances, together with a beatdown of latest bantamweight title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva. It’s unclear how a lot room is left to develop for the 36-year-old Jasudavicius, however she’s making all the proper strikes to date, together with establishing a gathering with former UFC champion and two-division menace Jessica Andrade.

A powerful outing Saturday takes Jasudavicius from quirky contender to professional title challenger, one thing Canada has been lacking for some time.