With less than eight weeks away, Dana White and Co. have found themselves in a predicament—the main event of arguably the biggest card of the year, UFC 317, has not yet been announced. The PPV at International Fight Week has yet to have a main event, and the fight community is asking for the matchmaking team to announce the headliner already. But there could be a possibility that the official announcement comes after we sum up UFC 315 this weekend.
Well, that might be an audacious suggestion, but we have a few reasons to believe that Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena will play a vital role in helping Dana White arrive at a decision. Also, a lot of developments have taken place in the past few months when it comes to UFC 317, and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev appears to be a big part of it as well. So, let’s take a look at the first reason why the main event at this weekend’s PPV could affect the one during International Fight Week.
If Belal Muhammad wins, Islam Makhachev could end up fighting Ilia Topuria
Islam Makhachev’s double champion’s dream does not involve taking on a fighter that he trains with. So, there’s no way he’s going to fight Belal Muhammad. Not only the lightweight champion, but his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, also echoes the same sentiment. “My heart is not OK. It would be hard to prepare Islam to beat Belal… I don’t think that it’s ever going to happen,” ‘The Eagle’ stated in that regard late last year.
This means that if Belal Muhammad manages to retain his title against Jack Della Maddalena, Islam Makhachev will have to continue his journey in the lightweight division. That may give him a chance to carve an even bigger legacy as a 155-er, but he may end up fighting Ilia Topuria at UFC 317. The former featherweight champion mentioned Dana White promising him a lightweight title shot, and guess what? ‘La Leyenda’ even confirmed that he’s making his return during International Fight Week.
“On June 28, something big is coming—something that will mark a before and after in the history of Spanish sport,” Ilia Topuria told Telemadrid recently. The fact that it’s something big, according to the former 145lbs champ, might just be him hinting at a title fight against Islam Makhachev. So maybe that ends up becoming the direction Dana White takes for UFC 317, since it’s an obvious show-stealer and money-maker.
MMA: UFC 311 Makhachev vs Moicano Jan 18, 2025 Inglewood, California, USA Islam Makhachev red gloves reacts after defeating Renato Moicano blue gloves in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. Inglewood Intuit Dome California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGaryxA.xVasquezx 20250118_jhp_sv5_0501
But what if that doesn’t happen? Well, if things turn out the other way around, Islam Makhachev may not be affected as much as Dana White will be. Let’s take a look at the next reason.
If Jack Della Maddalena wins, Dana White might need to make new plans
A win for the Australian title contender opens the door for Islam Makhachev to step right up and fight for a second belt. What makes this more of a possibility is the fact that Jack Della Maddalena is looking for a fight against the lightweight champion if and when he beats Belal Muhammad. And guess what? Maddalena already knows where he wants to fight Makhachev.
After Islam Makhachev defeated Alexander Volkanovski twice, and once in his own backyard, Jack Della Maddalena decided it would be him to take revenge for his fellow Aussie fighter. And after a possible win over Belal Muhammad, the 28-year-old is open to squaring off against the Dagestan native in his hometown.
“If Islam after the fight says he wants to step up, I would happily give him the shot. Hopefully, we can do it soon. I think they’ve got a card in Australia coming up. Obviously not looking past Belal but would love to fight in Australia,” Maddalena told MMA Junkie. So, this leaves Dana White in a predicament because he’ll need a Plan-B for UFC 317. With less than eight weeks to go, time is of the essence.
May 4, 2023, Newark, NJ, NEWARK, NJ, United States: Newark NJ – May 4: Dana White speaks to the press and the fans at UFC288 – Sterling vs Cejudo – press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at Prudential Center on May 4, 2023 in Newark, NJ Newark, NJ United States – ZUMAp175 20230504_zsa_p175_038 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
With Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev out of the picture, Caio Borralho has offered himself to fight the Chechen-born for an interim 185lbs title, but we don’t have any clear picture as to what the UFC CEO is considering. Does he call Alex Pereira again? It remains to be seen. Do you think Dana White is waiting for the outcome of the UFC 315 headliner to arrive at a decision for the UFC 317 headliner? Let us know in the comments.
The post How Dana White’s UFC 317 International Fight Week Depends on UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena appeared first on EssentiallySports.