This weekend we have another great event of the MMA promoter of the world. UFC 315 It will have two belts at stake: Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena for the weight Wélter and Valentina Shevchenko against Manon Fiorot for the female fly weight. The French has been waiting for her opportunity for a long time due to the long trilogy between the current Kyrgyse champion and former Mexican monarch.
However, the case of the Australian fighter is totally different, having the opportunity to proclaim himself UFC champion being the number five of your division. Although Della Maddalena has demonstrated sufficient level to deserve to be the bearer of a title, this leaves the UFC rankings system.
Keep in mind that Muhammad’s rival was going to be Shavkat rakhmonov, But Kazaja has had a lot of bad luck. First, the American champion was injured within a few weeks that they faced each other in UFC 310last December. This fight was going to recover this Saturday, May 10, but before nothing was announcedRakhmonov was injured in his preparation for the star eventso that, not only has it lost another chance for the belt, but has dropped to the second place in the rankingbeing now Sean Brady The maximum applicant. In case it was not enough, Islam Makhachev Keep waiting for what happens in UFC 315 to decide whether to skip your tail and fight against the Maddalena for the welter weight or defend the 155 pounds once again Iliary top.
‘The legend’ will also sneak into the light weight ranking. The UFC promised to be the following title candidate Of the 155 pounds as long as his previous reign in the pen weight is vacant. Topuria fulfilled and now is the turn of the UFC. If the Topuria against Makhachev is done, another number one must wait to have its opportunity: Arman Tsarukyan. However, the Armenian had his chance for the title in the month of January but The day was injured before the fight Against Makhachev, so the UFC has punished him without a second direct chance.
These are six fighters who, being the number one of their division, They will not be the following champion to the UFC champion.
-Brandon Royval
The case of Denver born is something special. He had his chance for the 125 pounds in 2023 but fell by unanimous decision before the invincible Alexandre Pantoja. However, Royval was reborn after this defeat and, last year, he beat his two fights against Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira and replaced in the number one position of the fly weight. The great problem that the American has is that the Brazilian monarch has already defeated him on the two occasions they faced, so ‘Raw Dawg’ must demonstrate much more so that the UFC considers that he has some opportunity to overcome his ‘Kriptonite’.
Everything seems to indicate that Kai Kara-France, number four of the division, will be the next rival of Alexandre Pantoja.
Arman Tsarukyan
The Armenian did have his chance for the title but, inexplicably, he was injured his back hours before his fight against Islam Makhachev in UFC 311, last January. Renato Moicano replaced the 28 -year -old and the UFC sentenced him forcing him to fight a contender if he wants to have a bullet again for the 155 pounds. However, Tsarukyan can be lucky if Makhachev decides to leave his belt vacant and climb the wéter weight championship. In this case, Ilia Topuria, the next rival of the Daguestaní, will fight for the vacant belt against Charles Oliveria or Tsarukyan himself.
Shavkat Rakhmonov y Sean Brady
The wélter weight is full of belt contenders, but the division ranking does not reflect the reality of the category. Kamaru Usman is still in number four despite not winning since 2022 and Leon Edwards is still in the top 3 despite his two disastrous performances against Muhammad and Brady.
The next championship candidate will be number five of the Wélter, Jack Della Maddalena. The UFC chose the Australian, who was going to face Leon Edwards, to replace the injured Rakhmonov, who has become a champion in December 2024 to fall to second place in the ranking of the division.
Sean Brady surprised everyone with his guillotine to Leon Edwards and now becomes the number one contender at 170 pounds. However, the American must wait a long time if Islam Makhachev decides to climb division and face the champion that comes out in UFC 315.
Nassourdine Imavov
Without making too much noise, Imavov has been placed in the number one position of the medium weight division, governed by Dricus du Plessis over a year ago. The Frenchman gave Israel Adesanya a reality knocked out in the second assault and claimed to be the next to fight against the South African monarch. Once again, however, the UFC looks the other way and everything seems to indicate that Du Plessis will face Kamzat Chimaev, number three of the division. While it is true that chechene, undefeated in the MMA, is shown as the great predestined to conquer the 185 pounds, we return to the same issue of before: why don’t they place it as number one of the division?
Du Plessis Conta Chimaev could have been the stellar for UFC 317, but the struggle for the average weight will arrive between the months of July and September.
Tom Aspinall
The longest interim champion in the history of the UFC. Your case is meaningless in the UFC. He was proclaimed interim heavyweight champion after the injury of Jon Jones, who was not going to fight against the British on his return and defended his belt against Stipe Miocic. Right now there is no other great fight to make in the 265 pounds than the unification of the championship, but Jones continues to give long and the UFC does not leave Aspinall fight against another rival, who has been number one number one of the division since 2023 and has not yet had the opportunity to proclaim himself undisputed champion of the UFC. Unlike the rest of the contestants, ASPINALL will be yes or if the next division contender. The question is when this opportunity will have.
