5 fights to make following UFC 315: Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena

UFC 315 went down last night in Montreal, and it turned out to be a pivotal event. Most importantly, we've got a new champion at 170 pounds.

So with UFC 315: Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena now in the books, what's next for the event's biggest winners?

For some fighters, the next step is obvious, but for others, it could be anyone's guess.

Here are five fights to make following UFC 315: Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena.

---

#5. UFC lightweight bout: Benoit Saint Denis vs. Joel Alvarez

The fighter who found himself in a must-win situation more than anyone else last night was Benoit Saint Denis.

The lightweight contender had lost his last two bouts in a row, both via finish, and ended up facing a late-notice opponent in the form of Kyle Prepolec.

Thankfully, 'The God of War' dispatched Prepolec with relative ease, submitting him in the second round with a slick arm triangle choke.

So who should be next for Saint Denis, who is still ranked in the top 15 at 155 pounds? Perhaps the best bet would be to re-book the fight with Joel Alvarez that fell apart last night.

Alvarez still needs a step up in competition, and with just two spots separating them in the rankings, Saint Denis is the perfect foe for him.

Therefore, the matchmakers simply need to put this exciting-sounding clash together again when they get the chance.

---

#4. UFC flyweight bout: Natalia Silva vs. Erin Blanchfield or Maycee Barber

Natalia Silva picked up the biggest win of her UFC career last night, clearly outpointing former flyweight champ Alexa Grasso.

However, the Brazilian probably wasn't quite impressive enough to earn a shot at champ Valentina Shevchenko, despite the win being her seventh in a row in the UFC.

Therefore, the best fight for her to take next would be against the winner of the upcoming bout between No.3-ranked Erin Blanchfield and No.4-ranked Maycee Barber. That fight is scheduled to headline a Fight Night event on May 31.

Silva has shown she'd be more than a match for either woman, but whether their additional experience could pull them through would be interesting.

Either way, a fight between Silva and 'Cold Blooded' or 'The Future' could definitely decide the next top contender for Shevchenko's throne.

---

#3. UFC bantamweight bout: Aiemann Zahabi vs. Mario Bautista or Marlon Vera

Another fighter who picked up the biggest win of his UFC career last night was Aiemann Zahabi. It didn't come easily, but he defeated - and retired - the legendary Jose Aldo, really beating him down late in the bout.

While last night's fight took place at 145 pounds, it's likely that Zahabi will return to 135 pounds next time out.

A good match for him, then, could be the winner of the upcoming fight between Mario Bautista and Marlon Vera. That fight is set to go down in early June.

Both men would mark a step up in competiiton for Zahabi, both from a rankings perspective and from a quality perspective too.

However, the Canadian is now on a six-fight win streak, and based on the toughness he showed to beat Aldo last night, only a fool would count him out.

Therefore, a fight between him and Bautista or Vera would be perfect for a card later in 2025.

---

#2. UFC flyweight title: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Weili Zhang

Valentina Shevchenko once again showed why she's the best flyweight in the UFC last night. She clearly outpointed top contender Manon Fiorot to defend her title successfully, handing 'The Beast' her first loss since 2018.

Shevchenko now has two clear paths ahead of her. She could face off with Natalia Silva, who is likely to claim the top spot in the rankings after her win over Alexa Grasso.

However, there's no money in that fight, as Silva is still largely unheralded by casual fans and would not be expected to truly push 'The Bullet'.

The better fight for the champ might actually be against strawweight queen Weili Zhang, who has already expressed an interest in moving up to 125 pounds.

'Magnum' has not been as dominant over her division as Shevchenko, although she's not been far off, and while she'd give up size to Shevchenko, her well-rounded game would definitely make her a dangerous foe.

Essentially, this is the biggest possible fight to make for both women right now, and that alone makes it well worth putting together.

---

#1. UFC welterweight title: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev

UFC 315's headliner ended with an upset of sorts. Despite not being the official top contender at 170 pounds, Jack Della Maddalena unseated Belal Muhammad to claim the welterweight title, extending his run in the octagon to eight wins in a row.

Given Della Maddalena was only ranked No.5 coming in, there are plenty of options for him. However, based on everything we've seen in the aftermath of last night, there's only one name on the mind of both 'JDM' and the promotion.

That name is, of course, lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev. It was previously mentioned that Makhachev wanted to test himself at 170 pounds, but only if his friend Muhammad were to lose the title.

With Della Maddalena now holding the gold, then, Makhachev evidently fancies his chances of becoming a two-division champion.

The Aussie would not be an easy out for him by any means based on the cardio, striking, takedown defense and sheer toughness he showed last night. However, Makhachev's takedowns and submission game are on another level, something that Della Maddalena would definitely need to be wary of.

What would happen to Makhachev's lightweight title in this scenario? That's a question for Dana White and company.

However, it's likely that they haven't thought that far, too. Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev is potentially a big-money fight, and so we can probably expect to see it booked sooner rather than later.