The Women’s Flyweight Championship will be on the line at UFC 315 on Saturday, May 12, when the opening bell rings for Manon Fiorot vs. Valentina Shevchenko. It will mark the second title shot of the evening, serving as the co-main event to Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena, and it’s already shaping up to be an ultra-close call.
Will Shevchenko be able to retain the belt she just won back at UFC 306? Or will The Company see a new Flyweight Champion emerge for Bell Centre in Canada?
- What: UFC 315
- When: Saturday, May 10, 2025
- Start Time: 7 p.m. EST (preliminary bouts), 10 p.m. EST (main card)
- Where: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Venue: Bell Centre
- Where to Watch: ESPN+ (subscription required)
- Main Event: Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena
Shevchenko, also known as simply “Bullet,” will enter UFC 315 with an overall record of 24-4-1. The 37-year-old has spent the better part of a decade challenging—and ultimately holding—the Women’s Flyweight Championship.
Most recently, Shevchenko has jockeyed for title positioning with Alexa Grasso. After losing the championship to Grasso by submission at UFC 285 in March 2023, she also fell during their rematch at a Fight Night in September 2023. However, the matchup was such a tight call, coming down to a split decision, that Shevchenk vs. Grasso 3 helped headline UFC 306 this past September. Shevchenko picked up the victory—and the Flyweight Championship—by unanimous decision after out-striking Grasso 45-18 and completing eight takedowns to the latter’s one takedown.
For Fiorot, UFC 315 will mark her first title shot with The Company. She enters with a 12-1-0 lifetime record and is currently on a dominant winning streak. Her debut with the UFC came in January 2021. Over this span, she has participated in seven fights. And she has one of them all.
The 35-year-old, who is also called “The Beast,” is coming off two of her most impressive victories to date. Most recently, she beat Erin Blanchfield by unanimous decision at a Fight Night in March 2024. Before that, at a Fight Night in September 2023, she took down Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision. Many thought she earned a title shot at that time. While she ultimately did not, she’s getting her chance now.
UFC 315 Co-Main Event: Manon Fiorot vs Valentina Shevchenko Betting Lines
The latest online UFC betting odds tend to favor the incumbent champion. But that is not the case for Shevchenko vs. Fiorot. As you can see below, the current UFC 315 betting lines peg Fiorot as the slight favorite:
Do not forget to keep double-checking these UFC 315 betting odds right up until you actually submit your wager. Our UFC 315 online betting odds for Fiorot vs. Shevchenko are accurate entering Wednesday, March 25. This gives the best online UFC betting sites more than enough time to make adjustments ahead of the opening bell on Saturday, May 12.
You better believe Fiorot vs. Shevchenko betting lines will undergo movement, too. When the underdog is only a +102, it sets the stage for a ton of adjustments, particularly in the final few weeks leading up to the match. Since our Manon Fiorot vs. Valentina Shevchenko predictions are coming more than a month before UFC 315, you will want to be hyper-vigilant prior to submitting your picks.
The Case for Manon Fiorot to beat Valentina Shevchenko
Manon Fiorot enters as the UFC 315 favorite over Valentina Shevchenk despite being the challenger. Granted, it is not a huge lead. But it is notable.
Some are pointing out that this long-awaited title shot is fueling reflexive investments in her UFC 315 betting line. Perhaps that’s true. It is nowhere near the only reason that these Fiorot vs. Shevchenko betting odds are shaking out as they so far have.
For starters, Fiorot is an excellent foil to one of Shevchenko’s greatest strengths. The incumbent champion is landing a nice 2.76 takedowns per 15 minutes. Fiorot, however, holds opponents to a 7 percent success rate on those attempts. Her defense in these situations was on full display when she faced off against Erin Blanchfield last March. Fiorot stymied takedown attempt after takedown attempt.
On top of that, Fiorot looms as the better striker. She is landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute. That is nearly double Shevchenko’s mark of 3.16.
To that end, if Fiorot is able to limit Shevchenko’s successful takedowns, she isn’t just positioned to win. She’s positioned to win comfortably.
The Case for Valentina Shevchenko to Beat Manon Fiorot
Even Valentina Shevchenko fans are worried about this matchup for the recently re-crowned champ. It might have something to do with her only fighting against Alexa Grasso over the past two years, as the two tangled for the Flyweight belt.
Much of this concern feels exaggerated. Shevchenko continues to pair excellent footwork with quality power. She may not land many strikes per minute, but she connects on 52 percent of them and hits her opponents incredibly hard.
Top-notch power is not really anything Fiorot has recently needed to face. Rose Namajunas is probably the closest comp to Shevchenko. Not surprisingly, Fiorot needed a decision to win that fight. And despite it being unanimous, it was a fairly close call.
UFC 315 Picks for Fiorot vs. Shevchenko
This fight has “instant classic” written all over it. Right this very moment, it feels almost too close to call.
Ultimately, though, we find ourselves gravitating towards Fiorot winning the Flyweight Championship. Shevchenko may hit astoundingly hard, but she doesn’t approach matches with a high-volume mindset. That’s not a big deal when she can wrestle her way to victories. But she will not be able to do that versus Fiorot’s defense.
Expect this fight to reach a decision. Like we said, Shevchenko’s footwork will give Fiorot problems. When all’s said and done, though, we believe Fiorot’s first title shot will go down as a rousing success.
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