The UFC matchmakers have to scramble to keep a fan favorite on the UFC 315 head card.
UFC 315 marks the long-awaited return from the promotion to Montreal after a long wait for Canadian MMA fans. A UFC Welterweight title matchup between Belal Muhammad and the rising Jack della Maddalena heads the map.
The other title Matchup on UFC 315 marks the start of the second women's flying weight of Valentina Shevchenko, rules Manon Fiorot in the Co-Main event. Shevchenko has recovered the flying weight throne by performing Alexa Grasso in their trilogy in September.
But only a few days before the pay-per-view event, UFC 315 suffered a big blow in an intriguing lightweight matchup between two knockout artists.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
UFC 315 loses the main card fight only a few days before the return from Promotion to Montreal
As reported by different points of sale on Saturday, UFC Lightweight Joel Alvarez has withdrawn from his planned matchup with Benoit Saint-Denis on UFC 315. From this letter, the reason behind the removal of Alvarez is unknown, just as it is whether Saint-Denis gets a short-bill-opponent.
The French publication La Sueur was the first to report the news of the withdrawal of Alvarez.
It is a disappointing setback for Alvarez after winning the biggest victory of his career at UFC Tampa in December. In a stunning finish, Alvarez Drakkar Klose struck unconscious with a flying knee to continue his climb in the lightweight division.
Alvarez won three consecutive fights in 2022 since a loss for the top lightweight competition Arman Tsarukyan. He is done with Marc Diakiese, Elves Brener and Klose during his current line.
In the meantime, the UFC matchmakers will potentially want to find a discount on Korte Notice to view Saint-Denis on UFC 315. Saint-Denis wants to bounce back after the first loss of his fighting career.
Benoit Saint-Denis seems to bounce back from successive TKO losses
Saint-Denis earned a confrontation with Dustin Poirier by eliminating Matt FROPLA with a main kick on UFC 295. He then lost Van Poirier by TKO on the second round on UFC 299, a five-fight winning line.
Saint-Denis then headed UFC Paris in September and fell through TKO to Renato Moicano (doctor's stop). His losses for Micano and Poirier are the only defeats of his career.
Before the recent struggles of Saint-Denis, the French highlight ran through a whole series of light weights, including Thiago Moises and Ismael Bonfim. He was on a role after a UFC debut loss for eleven Zaleski dos Santos on UFC 267.