UFC 315 might already be cursed before a single punch has been thrown. The marquee event, headlined by Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena, has been criticized for its lackluster appeal. But what if I told you, it’s now facing an even bigger setback? Shocking, right? Sources from Joel Alvarez’s camp have confirmed that the fighter who was supposed to face French slugger Benoit Saint-Denis might now be unable to step into the Octagon at all. This unexpected turn of events is just another blow to an already underwhelming card booked by Dana White.

The MMA community was already attacking UFC 315 for being subpar, but the matters just got worse as one of the most anticipated fights on the entire card might have been cancelled. As per ‘Knockout Alerts’, Joel Alvarez is rumoured to be out of his contest against Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 315. Reputable outlets like La Sueur and reporter Marcel Dorff later confirmed the news as true.

The cancellation deals a severe blow to the UFC 315 lineup, as this was one of the fights that could have brought some heat to the game. ‘El Fenomeno’ boasted a 100% finishing ratio across his 22 victories, and ‘God Of War’ is riding a wave to prove his worth inside the Octagon yet again. This matchup had all the ingredients for a fireworks-filled showdown, but it was not meant to be.

If we look at Tapology, the website states that the fight has been officially cancelled. According to ‘Home of Fight,’ the cancellation was due to an injury sustained by Alvarez. However, the exact cause of the injury has not yet been revealed. As the anticipated fight stands cancelled, the actual fighting lineup right now is as follows:

• Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena; welterweight title
• Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot; flyweight title
• Alexa Grasso vs. Natalia Silva; flyweight
• Jose Aldo vs. Aiemann Zahabi; bantamweight
• Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan; bantamweight
• Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Bruno Silva; middleweight
• Mike Malott vs. Charles Radtke; welterweight
• Jessica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius; flyweight
• Navajo Stirling vs. Ivan Erslan; light heavyweight
• Modestas Bukauskas vs. Ion Cutelaba; light heavyweight
• Daniel Santos vs. Jeong Yeong Lee; featherweight

With the fight canceled, the UFC CEO may have to put together something on short notice to keep ‘God of War’ on the card — but that’s not his main concern right now. With UFC 315 just seven days away, his immediate focus is on booking a banger fight for International Fight Week.

Dana White runs to save International Fight Week as June approaches

“That fight’s happening. That fight is done. It’s just not happening on International Fight Week,” This is what Dana White has to say about the anticipated middleweight clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis. ‘Borz’ has been calling for a title fight since his UFC debut, and when he finally got the opportunity, rumors emerged that Du Plessis was injured and Chimaev might have to face Caio Borralho at International Fight Week. Well, it was just a rumour as ‘StillKnocks’ came forward to disregard his injury rumours as well as stated that he would face Chimaev. Then White came forward to ascertain that their fight is booked, but not at IFW.

So, what’s next? It would be Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria on June 28. However, Team Khabib is not in the mood to entertain Topuria’s demand to gain a backdoor entry to the 155 lbs gold. Most of the lightweight contenders are in a position to fight for the title, but a matchup between Topuria and Makhachev would bring the kind of heat to International Fight Week that others wouldn’t—and that’s exactly what Dana White wants.

Interestingly, Hunter Campbell just landed in Dubai to have a discussion with Team Khabib about all of the options open for Islam Makhachev. Given the current circumstances, the UFC is in a very tough position, as if they don’t announce a banger fight at the end of this month, then they will find it immensely difficult to market it properly. What are your thoughts on the hubbub? State your opinion in the comments below.