Dana White’s matchmaking job is never easy! Every event throws a new curveball at him. But here’s the thing, for every problem, there’s always someone bold enough to bring a wild solution to the table. Remember Alex Pereira’s heroics to save UFC 303 when Conor McGregor did the most McGregor thing to do and pulled out of his bout with Michael Chandler? Or when Deiveson Figueiredo headlined back-to-back PPVs (UFC 255 and UFC 256) in a span of 21 days to save the card? These are the guys that the head honcho loves.

And with UFC 315 just a few days away and laced with a setback, a featherweight star was ready to do it in a Mike Tyson style. Belal Muhammad is finally set to defend his 170lbs gold for the first time, and he’s doing it against Jack Della Maddalena at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec on May 10th. The Canadian crowd’s got plenty to cheer for too, with names like Mike Mallot, Marc-André Barriault, and Jasmine Jasudavicius all on deck.

That said, not every hometown fighter got the green light. Fight analyst Garrent Kerman posted on X that Gavin Tucker pulled out of his fight against Jeong Yeong Lee for an undisclosed reason. Soon, Daniel Santos replaced him on short notice against Lee to keep the card intact. Some might have called it a problem solved already, but UFC’s short-notice king Dan Ige wasn’t done.

He was ready to jump in—just not against Jeong Yeong Lee. That’s when former UFC fighter Kai Kamaka III spotted an opening. Seeing it as his shot to possibly return to the big stage, he hopped on X and posted under Kerman’s post, “What’s up @ufc, @mma_kings, @DamonMartin, @BrianButler_Au.”

Ige quickly backed him, replying, “Kai boi is ready to go @ufc.” Then he added some spice—posting Mike Tyson’s iconic overhand KO of Jose Ribalta, followed by his third-round finish of Sean Woodson at UFC 314 with a three-word caption while tagging ‘Iron’: “Tryna be like @MikeTyson.” Although it was not a full-blown callout, the implication was there.

Dan Ige made headlines with his legendary four-hour short-notice call-up at UFC 303, stepping in for Brian Ortega to face Diego Lopes. That gutsy move didn’t go unnoticed—Dana White was so fired up by both guys’ performances, he dropped the now-famous line, “I will do anything for these guys!” So, it wouldn’t be surprising if the head honcho was hoping for another one of those moments at UFC 315. And honestly, it could’ve delivered. Is Ige bringing another Mike Tyson-style finish? That would’ve been wild. A real show-stealer.

UFC 315 is shaping up to be a banger. The card overall looks solid, but to be honest, the main event between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena is stealing the spotlight. That’s the fight everyone’s talking about. And it’s not just the fans tuning in, the welterweight contenders are watching this one closely, too. One name in particular? Joaquin Buckley! That guy has been making serious noise and is now knocking on the door to become the champion and wishes the current 170 lbs kingpin to retain the title.

Joaquin Buckley wants Belal Muhammad to retain the championship at UFC 315

Joaquin Buckley is already locked into the main event of UFC Atlanta against none other than former champ Kamaru Usman. ‘New Mansa’ still has a major test ahead before he can truly cement himself as a top contender, but that hasn’t stopped him from eyeing the future. With the UFC 315 main event set to decide a winner between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena, Buckley’s already lining up who he wants next.

In a recent Instagram video, he didn’t hold back, promising to become the UFC’s biggest star by knocking out the current champion, if he gets to keep he retains the belt. In his post, ‘New Mansa’ didn’t mince words: “So I’m hoping Belal wins, and once he wins, [I’ll] knock his a— out, and then go ahead and become the biggest star in the UFC. This is my opportunity.”

Bold? Absolutely! But Buckley, currently ranked No. 7 at welterweight, isn’t wrong with that take. If he manages to get past the biggest challenge of his career against Usman, he will be stealing that #4 spot. However, that still doesn’t guarantee a title shot for the Missouri native. Even if Buckley gets past Usman, he might need one more big win to truly lock in his place, preferably against a rising contender like Ian Garry.

The welterweight division is stacked, and guys like Sean Brady and Shavkat Rakhmonov are also right there, waiting for their moment. So while Buckley’s stock could skyrocket with a win in Atlanta, the road to the title might still have one or two bumps left. How do you think the welterweight division will shape up after UFC 315? Please let us know your thoughts by commenting below!