Preview: UFC 315 ‘Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena’

Lightweights

Benoit St. Denis (13-3, 5-3 UFC) vs. Kyle Prepolec (18-8, 0-2 UFC)

ODDS: St. Denis (-1100), Prepolec (+700)

St. Denis looks for a much-needed rebound in this outing. After a rough introduction to the UFC while stepping in on late notice up a weight class for a hard-fought loss against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, “God of War” cut back down to lightweight and immediately became one of the hottest fighters in the division. Beyond winning five fights in a row, St. Denis consistently brought the kind of violence that gains tons of attention, cutting through opponents on the feet and on the ground. Add in that some of those performances came in front of an absolutely rabid French crowd, and it was easy to see why the UFC saw the Frenchman as someone worth pushing into contention heading into 2024. St. Denis’ first fight of last year ended in a loss, but it didn’t do much to dull his stock. He put on a barnburner against Dustin Poirier for a round and a half before suddenly eating a knockout. However, his last fight against Renato “Money” Moicano was a bit more damaging. Tasked with carrying the card as a headliner in Paris, St. Denis got outwrestled early and eventually lost due to a cut stoppage. Initially slated to get another potential barnburner against Joel Alvarez, St. Denis now attempts to bounce back against a late-notice replacement and UFC returnee in Prepolec.

Canada’s Prepolec had a forgettable first UFC run, losing two fights in uninspiring fashion over the course of a few months, but he has done well since his promotional exit and should at least bring the necessary violence component as a pressure-heavy striker. He’s likely outgunned here on the feet and particularly on the mat, the latter of which was an issue during his first UFC stint that doesn’t seem to have been resolved. The pick is St. Denis via first-round submission.

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