Huge UFC 315 fight has been pulled from card due to an injury

A huge matchup scheduled for the UFC 315 card has been shelved.

UFC 315 takes place on Saturday and it’ll feature a UFC Welterweight Championship clash between titleholder Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. Valentina Shevchenko will put her flyweight gold at stake against Manon Fiorot. The legend Jose Aldo will also be fighting, as he’ll take on Aiemann Zahabi.

While those bouts remain intact ahead of fight night, one previously planned main card bout has been canned.

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Benoit Saint Denis vs. Joel Alvarez is Off

A lightweight collision between Benoit Saint Denis and Joel Alvarez was going to be UFC 315’s main card opener. It wasn’t meant to be, as Alvarez announced on Instagram that he has been forced out of the fight due to an injury (translated by DeepL).

“Hello everyone. I am out of my fight at UFC 315 due to a hand injury that leaves me unable to start hitting for 3 weeks. It’s not the lightweight loss I wanted, but it is what it is. There are many factors that are out of our hands and we can’t control. The camp had been perfect so far. We will be back this year reformed and with a different approach. Thank you all so much for the support, you are the best. We will be back this year with a different approach. Thank you all so much for the support, you are the best.”

At this time, it’s unknown if the UFC will reschedule the fight or look for a replacement on short notice. This would’ve been a chance for Alvarez to move closer to a top 10 spot on the official lightweight rankings. He currently sits at No. 15, while Saint Denis is the No. 13-ranked 155-pounder.

Alvarez is riding a three-fight winning streak and appeared to be gaining momentum before this setback. Saint Denis, on the other hand, was hoping to avoid a three-fight skid. It won’t be long before it’s revealed whether or not he stays on the UFC 315 card.