5 Sleeper Fights To Watch At UFC 315

Published by Paul Browne on May 9, 2025

Prelim Spotlight: Fighters to Watch Ahead of UFC 315 in Montreal

Quebec hosts its first UFC event in a decade this weekend as UFC 315 takes place at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The card is headlined by two world title fights: Belal Muhammad will defend his welterweight title against dangerous Australian contender Jack Della Maddalena, while Valentina Shevchenko puts her flyweight belt on the line against French striking standout Manon Fiorot in the co-main event.

We’ve already broken down the main card matchups—now let’s highlight the most exciting action from Saturday’s preliminary card.

Mike Malott vs. Charles Radtke (Welterweight)

Ontario’s Mike Malott (11-2-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) looks to continue his impressive rise in the featured bout of Saturday’s preliminary card as he faces Charles Radtke (10-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC).

Malott made a dream start to his UFC career in 2022, knocking out Mickey Gall in his Octagon debut. He followed that up in 2023 with submission victories over Yohan Lainesse and Adam Fugitt—earning Performance of the Night bonuses for both finishes.

After suffering a setback in January 2024 when he was stopped by veteran Neil Magny at UFC 297, Malott bounced back in November with a unanimous decision win over Trevin Giles at UFC Edmonton.

Radtke has also made a strong start to his UFC tenure, with a stoppage loss to Carlos Prates marking his only defeat so far. Two of his three Octagon wins have come via first-round TKO, showcasing his finishing ability early in fights.

Jéssica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (Flyweight)

Former UFC strawweight champion Jéssica Andrade (26-13 MMA, 17-11 UFC) will make her record-setting 29th walk to the Octagon this Saturday—the most appearances by any female fighter in UFC history.

Andrade also holds the record for the most wins by a female in UFC history with 17, and she’s just one stoppage victory away from tying Amanda Nunes and Gillian Robertson for the most finishes (10) among women in the promotion.

She’s set to face a resurgent Jasmine Jasudavicius (13-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who has put together an impressive four-fight winning streak since the start of 2024.

Modestas Bukauskas vs. Ion Cutelaba (Light Heavyweight)

Two light heavyweights on the rise are set to clash this Saturday. Modestas Bukauskas (17-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) endured a tough first run with the UFC, losing three of his four bouts between 2019 and 2020 before parting ways with the promotion.

Since re-signing in 2023, “The Baltic Gladiator” has found his stride, winning four of his last five fights—including back-to-back stoppage victories over Marcin Prachnio and Raffael Cerqueira.

Ion Cutelaba (19-10-1 MMA, 8-9-1 UFC) returns for his 19th UFC appearance, riding a wave of momentum. The Moldovan has won three of his last four and kicked off 2025 in style with a first-round submission victory over Ibo Aslan at UFC Seattle in February.

Navajo Stirling vs. Ivan Erslan (Light Heavyweight)

Unbeaten City Kickboxing prospect Navajo Stirling (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) looks to continue his strong start in the UFC when he takes on former KSW title challenger Ivan Erslan (14-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) this weekend.

Stirling earned his UFC contract with a knockout win over Phillip Latu on Dana White’s Contender Series in September, then made a successful Octagon debut with a unanimous decision victory over Tuco Tokkos at UFC Tampa in December.

Erslan, meanwhile, is still searching for his first UFC win after a hard-fought split-decision loss to Ion Cutelaba at UFC Paris last September.

Marc-André Barriault vs. Bruno Silva (Middleweight)

This bout could carry serious stakes, with a “loser goes home” feel to it. Quebec’s own Marc-André Barriault (16-9 MMA, 5-8 UFC) hasn’t tasted victory in nearly two years, last winning against Eryk Anders at UFC 289. Since then, “Powerbar” has dropped three straight fights, with his last two losses coming by first-round stoppage.

He’ll square off against Bruno Silva (23-12 MMA, 4-6 UFC), who is also in desperate need of a win. The Brazilian is currently riding a four-fight losing streak, with his most recent victory coming against Brad Tavares in April 2023.