Preview: UFC 315 ‘Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena’

UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship

Valentina Shevchenko (24-4-1, 13-3-1 UFC) vs. Manon Fiorot (12-1, 7-0 UFC)

ODDS: Fiorot (-148), Shevchenko (+124)

Order has been restored to the women’s flyweight division as Shevchenko once again reigns as UFC champion, but this second title run figures to be more difficult than the first. Shevchenko’s dominance at 125 pounds has been so strong that it’s easy to forget just how close she was to becoming bantamweight champion. She immediately settled in as a top contender at 135 pounds upon her UFC debut in 2015, and her only losses were two narrow defeats to Amanda Nunes, the second of which was for the bantamweight title. With her newfound power advantages at 125 pounds, Shevchenko hit a new level, shutting down everyone in her path for the better part of half a decade. It wasn’t the most exciting thing to watch at times, but Shevchenko’s precise striking and ability to bully opponents in close quarters meant that they quickly ran out of options and were forced to either stop throwing offense or just get run over on the mat. Shevchenko’s seventh title defense, a narrow win over Taila Santos in 2022, was the first sign that “Bullet” might start having some struggles against the next wave of flyweight prospects. Most of the division’s young guns—including Santos—were powerful athletes, and the Brazilian’s physicality was enough to slow down or even take over against Shevchenko in the clinch or on the mat. It forced Shevchenko to keep up the pace and locked her out of the safe and slow pace where she’s at her most comfortable. Even after that showing, it was still a surprise that Alexa Grasso was the one to upend Shevchenko in her next title defense. Grasso figured to be a stay-busy opponent before some tougher fights for Shevchenko, but the Mexican was able to turn a single error into a fight-ending submission. That kicked off a three-fight series over the next year and a half that saw Shevchenko make the necessary adjustments, particularly her choice to take a more wrestling-heavy approach that shut down Grasso for most of their third fight. Now that Shevchenko is back on top, a lot of those potential tough tests remain, with Fiorot being the first to step up and try to end this second reign before it truly starts.

Fiorot isn’t the most electric challenger, but she’s clearly established herself as flyweight’s top contender, as “The Beast” has had little trouble getting past her competition over the last four and a half years. Fiorot’s regional footage wasn’t particularly remarkable, but once she hit the Octagon, it became apparent exactly how much her physical skills stood out even at the UFC level. The Frenchwoman is absolutely massive for the flyweight division, making her first two UFC bouts against Victoria Leonardo and Tabatha Ricci absolute mismatches. Fiorot kept getting steps up in competition from there, and she has proven up to the task every step of the way. All else being equal, she prefers to leverage her length with a slow-paced kickboxing attack, but fights against Jennifer Maia and Erin Blanchfield have shown that she can also shut down an opponent’s wrestling and grappling. Fiorot isn’t much of a finisher, but her combination of strength and soundness makes it difficult for opponents to get a lot done with her. That makes this matchup against Shevchenko intellectually fascinating. Fiorot isn’t going to get out over her skis and give Shevchenko much to work with, but she also isn’t going to do much to provide the champion with any sort of discomfort. If these two are just going to go shot for shot, Fiorot’s size and strength gives her the benefit of the doubt, but it will be interesting to see if anyone decides to press things in the hopes of clinching some rounds. The pick is Fiorot via decision.

Jump To »
Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena
Shevchenko vs. Fiorot
Aldo vs. Zahabi
Silva vs. Grasso
St. Denis vs. Prepolec
The Prelims