Two key matchups have been added to the upcoming UFC 315 fight card, which is set to take place on May 10 in Montreal.
A women's flyweight bout between former champion Alexa Grasso and rising contender Natalia Silva, plus a middleweight contest between heavy hitters Marc-Andre Barriault and Bruno Silva will take place at the event, Sportsnet can confirm.
Grasso, 31, has not fought anyone besides current champion Valentina Shevchenko since 2022. The 31-year-old star from Mexico became the 125-pound champion when she submitted Shevchenko at UFC 285 in 2023. She retained her title when she and Shevchenko fought to a split draw later that year at the first Noche UFC but lost it this past September at UFC 306 in the trilogy bout.
Meanwhile, Silva has amassed a 6-0 UFC record since debuting with a win over Jasmine Jasudavicius in 2022. The 28-year-old from Brazil is coming off a win over former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade in a Fight of the Night performance.
A win over Grasso in Montreal would move Silva closer to a title shot. Shevchenko is expected to defend her title next against top contender Manon Fiorot at some point in 2025.
Quebec City’s Barriault has not fought in his home province since 2018 when he was a TKO Major League MMA champion. The 35-year went 0-3 in 2024 with a split decision to Chris Curtis in Toronto in January then knockout losses to Joe Pyfer in June and Dustin Stoltzfus in November.
His opponent is also 35 and on a losing streak. Silva has gone the distance with Alex Pereira but overall has a 3-6 UFC record including four consecutive losses.
UFC 315 is the first UFC event hosted at the Bell Centre since UFC 186 in 2015. This will mark the eighth UFC event at the venue since 2008.
The organization has not yet announced a main event for the card.
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