Multiple divisions in flux after women's welterweight, flyweight title fights at UFC 315

If you had Jack Della Maddalena versus Islam Makhachev connected your 2025 bingo card, congratulations -- you're the lone one! Della Maddalena's superb triumph implicit Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title astatine UFC 315 changed the trajectory of the part and could person a lasting effect connected different divisions down the line.

In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko began her 2nd vocation rubric defence and erstwhile again proved she is 1 of the top MMA fighters ever. Is a showdown with strawweight champion Zhang Weili next? It whitethorn beryllium clip to enactment it connected your bingo card.

Let's sermon the astir apt paths for Della Maddalena, Shevchenko and the different fighters connected the UFC 315 main card.

Jack Della Maddalena, welterweight champion

What should beryllium next: Islam Makhachev

This athletics is wild. No 1 -- and I mean nary 1 -- saw a combat betwixt Della Maddalena and Makhachev coming successful 2025. Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound combatant successful the satellite and an established name. Della Maddalena is fantastic, but acold from a household name. Nevertheless, present we are, and I can't spot immoderate crushed this combat won't happen. If the UFC was to person its way, I don't judge this is the matchup it would make. Dana White is not peculiarly fond of champions moving up earlier emptying value classes, which Makhachev hasn't done. But Makhachev has done everything other the institution has asked of him, and it is present clip for the institution to instrumentality the favour successful bully faith. This is what helium wants. Personally, I'd similar to spot Makhachev versus Ilia Topuria next, but I deliberation we'll extremity up seeing it eventually. Matchup-wise, this would beryllium a phenomenal fight.

Wild card: Shavkat Rakhmonov

The lone mode this could hap is if Della Maddalena suffered immoderate undisclosed wounded during Saturday's triumph implicit Belal Muhammad astatine UFC 315. If helium were to request immoderate extended clip off, that could alteration things, but helium looked bully to go.

Belal Muhammad, welterweight

What should beryllium next: Kamaru Usman

Whether Usman wins oregon loses his adjacent combat against Joaquin Buckley connected June 14, this is the 1 to make. Muhammad and Usman person spoken publically astir a dustup betwixt them connected Usman's podcast earlier this year. If Usman defeats Buckley, he'll apt beryllium looking for a rubric changeable next, but the enactment mightiness beryllium backed up. With Makhachev perchance moving up and Rakhmonov connected deck, Usman mightiness person to combat again earlier getting his shot. Either way, Muhammad-Usman is simply a combat that makes consciousness and fans would beryllium funny in.

Wild card: Ian Machado Garry

This isn't precise likely. Machado Garry was the backup for the UFC 315 rubric combat Saturday, but unluckily for him, I don't deliberation that means he's next. Machado Garry is successful limbo, fixed the circumstances. He has a nonaccomplishment to Rakhmonov connected his record, truthful it's improbable he'll leap the enactment successful immoderate way. He mightiness beryllium forced to combat again, but a matchup with Muhammad apt wouldn't involvement the UFC each that much.

Valentina Shevchenko, women's flyweight champion

What should beryllium next: Natalia Silva

It's 1 of 2 options: Silva oregon Zhang Weili. The Shevchenko-Zhang matchup is overdue astatine this point, and some women merit that benignant of fight. It would arguably beryllium the biggest women's combat of the year, pending Amanda Nunes' imaginable unretirement. At the aforesaid time, we've waited this long, truthful we mightiness arsenic good publication Shevchenko and Zhang against the earthy rubric challengers successful their respective value classes, due to the fact that each has a morganatic one. Silva is deserving of a changeable astatine 125 pounds, and she could beryllium a existent occupation for Shevchenko. Virna Jandiroba deserves her changeable astatine Zhang astatine strawweight, too. We've travel this far. Let's spot it through.

Wild card: Zhang

The UFC would beryllium good wrong its rights to marque this champion-versus-champion combat now, and I wouldn't kick 1 spot if it did.

Manon Fiorot, women's flyweight

What should beryllium next: Alexa Grasso

From what I saw Saturday, Fiorot volition triumph the 125-pound rubric astatine immoderate constituent successful her career. She was close determination against the champion women's flyweight to ever live. All the skills were there; she conscionable mislaid retired to title acquisition and possibly a small fatigue. A fewer tiny tactical adjustments to that show could person had america calling Fiorot the champion close now. Fiorot apt would beryllium heavy favored against Grasso, who is connected a two-loss skid aft falling to Silva astatine UFC 315, but it's the close combat to make.

Wild card: Maycee Barber

If Barber is capable to get past Erin Blanchfield connected May 31, Barber-Fiorot would marque a batch of sense. Would the UFC bash it and hazard Barber taking a decision to idiosyncratic coming disconnected a rubric loss? The UFC apt volition look to bash the Grasso combat first, but depending connected however things shingle retired and whether Shevchenko is occupied with a champion-versus-champion matchup, we could spot this one.