The first fight scheduled for UFC 315 in Montreal, Quebec this May is set.
On Wednesday, Eurosport’s Marcel Dorff was first to report that Canadian bantamweight and “Multiple Fighter” Brad Katona (14-4) will face Bekzat Almakhan (11-2) at the event, set for the Bell Centre in Montreal on May 10, 2025.
Almakhan later confirmed the booking on social media.
Katona is on his second stint with the UFC after winning The Ultimate Fighter for the second time. He first won the reality fighting show in 2018, capturing the TUF 27 crown. A four-fight stint in the company (including his TUF win) saw him go 2-2; the SBG Ireland fighter was released off losses to Merab Dvalishvili and Hunter Azure.
After a successful run in Brave CF that saw him win that promotion’s 135lb title, Katona returned as part of The Ultimate Fighter 31, once again winning a TUF championship – and becoming the first two-time winner of the show.
Bekzat Almakhan joined the UFC in 2024, losing his debut against future title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov. He has not fought since. The loss was just the second of Almakhan’s professional MMA career.
No other fights beyond Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan have been announced for UFC 315 thus far. The card marks the promotion’s return to the French Canadian province for the first time in a decade.
