There’s one word no one in the combat sports world wants to hear: injuries. Even the slightest tweak can derail an entire card—and that’s exactly what happened at UFC 315. The main card clash between Joel Alvarez and Benoit Saint-Denis has crumbled, as the Spaniard was forced to withdraw due to injury. But a large section of fans still wanted to see ‘God of War’ inside the Octagon at UFC 315. So, Dana White has cooked something new, but does it have enough spice?

Saving face for the UFC in Canada, Dana White has played his cards — perhaps not according to fan expectations, but at least Benoit Saint-Denis will be fighting on Canadian soil. How? According to MMA insider Aaron Bronsteter, Saint-Denis has agreed to a short-notice fight with a new opponent. Kyle Prepolec will step in to replace Joel Alvarez and face Saint-Denis this Saturday at UFC 315 on five days’ notice.

A calculated move from the matchmakers to put in one of Canada’s own against the Frenchman, in the hopes that it draws in fans to see one of their own pull off an upset, maybe. Now, you might be wondering who this Kyle Prepolec is.

With a career record of 18 victories and 8 defeats, ‘Killshot’ is a confident fighter representing Ontario on the global stage. The lightweight star is actually returning to the UFC and is on a three-fight winning streak. In addition to that, Prepolec is an explosive fighter who has been knocking out his opponents left and right. 10 of his 18 wins have come via KO/TKO. And that’s not the only interesting tidbit here.

Once Prepolec steps into the Octagon at UFC 315, MMA fans will have seen the promotion call back to veterans, who had exited the promotion, on back-to-back weekends. Last week, at UFC Des Moines, Jeremy Stephens returned to the promotion on a one-fight deal. The hometown hero had exited the promotion in 2022 after 30 fights spanning over a 15-year stint. He was never cut from the UFC, so he had no hesitation in reaching out to Dana White with a message pre-written by his wife and secure the deal for an appearance at the Wells Fargo Arena against Mason Jones. But things may not be so smooth for Prepolec.

The Canadian will be looking to get back in Dana White’s good graces, as his past (and only) two UFC outings in 2019 ended in disaster. He suffered back-to-back losses to Nordine Taleb and Austin Hubbard. Now, nearly six years later, ‘Killshot’ returns to the grand stage. Dana White made a calculated move to solve the last-minute UFC 315 crisis, but are the fans content with it?

MMA community bashes Dana White for booking another substandard fight

Dana White may have booked Prepolec for the bout, but the UFC had several other options besides the Canadian prospect. One notable alternative was the rising ‘Fighting Nerd’ star, Mauricio Ruffy, who even called out Saint-Denis after Alvarez withdrew from the clash. Ruffy took to X to say, “Hey, UFC! How about a Fight Night main event against Saint-Denis?” A battle between Ruffy and Saint-Denis would have been amazing for the promotion, but it appears that the UFC CEO has some other plans. So, naturally, a fan said, “Lol cmon this is awful considering the potential available options.” 

If Prepolec can make a comeback to the UFC, why not Mandel Nallo? This is what a fan was asking the UFC CEO, “They shoulda gave it to Mandel. He’s the best.” For those who don’t know, Nallo is a Canadian MMA prospect who fought under Bellator. However, he left the organization after the PFL takeover. The fighter is riding a 4 fight winning streak and is one of the best from Canada.

Furthermore, another frustrated social media user added, “Just don’t have PPVs in Canada anymore, I rather travel than be stuck with Prepolec on the main card.” Interestingly, Mateusz Gamrot was also offering his services as a backup for the fight to save the card, but ‘God of War’ arguably denied him the opportunity. “BSD turned down the fight next week, what’s wrong with you guys? Grow some ba**s, cowards,” said Gamrot. This makes sense from the Frenchman’s perspective – he is 0-2 in his last two fights against Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano. He desperately wants a win, and Gamrot may be too risky a gamble. Looking at this, a fan added, “Saying no to Gamrot and then taking this fight. SMH”

Moreover, another fan expressed his disappointment in the UFC 315, “This is just a 2 fight card ….rest is all meh.” Last but not least, a fan had a question for the UFC CEO,  Dana White, “Why not Rebecki? Would have been a much better fight.” According to Aaron Bronsteter, Mateusz Rębecki couldn’t fight under the UFC 315 card because it would have taken a considerable amount of time to get the Canadian Visa. 

As the great ‘MMA Depression’ is rocking the promotion, what are your thoughts on the UFC 315 lineup? Do you think it has enough star power? State your opinion in the comments below.