UFC boss Dana White shares significant fight announcements, encompassing three title clashes
Dana White, the UFC president, dropped a major bombshell on Instagram late one night in February. He announced an impressive list of fights, spread across three upcoming events, featuring a total of thirteen title bouts. As an ardent MMA fan for over three decades, I was thrilled to hear about all the confirmed matches straight from the horse's mouth.
Here's a rundown of the matches and the events they belong to:
New Fights Confirmed
UFC Fight Night London - March 22
- (1) Leon Edwards vs. No. 5 Sean Brady - Welterweight
UFC 314 in Miami - April 12
- (1) Alexander Volkanovski vs. (3) Diego Lopes - Vacant UFC Featherweight Championship
- (7) Michael Chandler vs. (12) Paddy Pimblett - Lightweight
- (5) Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull - Featherweight
- (10) Geoff Neal vs. (13) Carlos Prates - Welterweight
- (3) Virna Jandiroba vs. (1) Xiaonan Yan - Strawweight
- (15) Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson - Featherweight
- Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa - Featherweight
- Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk - Middleweight
- Sumudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo - Men’s Flyweight
- Alberto Montes vs. Roberto Romero - Featherweight
UFC 315 - May 10 in Montreal
- (c) Belal Muhammad vs. (4) Jack Della Maddalena - Welterweight Championship
- (c) Valentina Shevchenko vs. (2) Manon Fiorot - Women’s Flyweight Championship
- (8) Gilbert Burns vs. (12) Michael Morales - Welterweight (Moved from UFC 314)
MMA analyst Jed I. Goodman was among those who caught wind of the announcements.
Key Takeaways from Dana White's Massive Fight Announcements
What's the Deal with Ilia Topuria?
Volkanovski and Lopes will battle for the vacant featherweight title. Per White's announcement, Topuria is planning to shift to lightweight, likely to take on Islam Makhachev for the title at 155 pounds. However, no fight arrangements have been made yet for Topuria.
Volkanovski will have an unusual opportunity to fight for a title while still grappling with a losing streak after his recent KO losses to Makhachev and Topuria. Lopes earns a title shot following his victory over Brian Ortega in September.
What's the Scoop on Shavkat Rakhmonov?
Muhammad's first title defense against Rakhmonov was anticipated for December 2024 at UFC 310, but Rakhmonov had to pull out due to a bone infection. Rakhmonov emerged victorious against Ian Machado Garry in his next outing, replacing Muhammad in the event.
If Rakhmonov recovers in time, he'll face the Muhammad-Della Maddalena winner.
Will Chandler-Pimblett Be Epic?
Chandler, despite being perceived as highly overrated, is a crowd-pleaser. A loss might lead him to fall out of the Top 10, while a victory for Pimblett could bring him closer to a title shot.
Has Pitbull Arrived in the UFC?
The signing of the Bellator legend was confirmed by White. The duel with Rodriguez could easily secure the Fight of the Night title, and it will serve as a significant platform for both fighters to display their skills.
Fiorot Gets Her Shot at Shevchenko
Following months of pushing for a challenge, Fiorot finally landed herself a title opportunity in Montreal. This fight may not bring in the most thrilling combat, but Shevchenko's all-time great status makes it an exciting proposition nonetheless.
The victor is likely to face Zhang Weili for the strawweight title, as she has expressed a desire to move up for a title challenge.
Quite a night for the MMA scene, wouldn't you agree?
After Dana White's announcement, Ilia Topuria's next fight is expected to be at the lightweight division, possibly against Islam Makhachev for the title. Dana White confirmed the signing of Bellator legend Patricio Pitbull, who will face Yair Rodriguez in an anticipated duel. UFC Fight Night London features Leon Edwards versus No. 5 Sean Brady in a welterweight match, while UFC 315 in Montreal has the defending welterweight champion Belal Muhammad set to fight Jack Della Maddalena. According to Dana White, Shavkat Rakhmonov may face the winner of Muhammad and Della Maddalena's title defense, if he recovers in time. The UFC 314 fight schedule also includes Michael Chandler versus Paddy Pimbleta in a significant lightweight bout, and Alexander Volkanovski's opportunity to fight for the featherweight title while still recovering from recent KO losses.
