Sorry, Montreal. A major welterweight fight scheduled for UFC 315 in the Canadian city has been pushed back a week, to headline an Apex card.
Cue the sad trombone.
Gilbert Burns (22-8) vs. Michael Morales (17-0) was expected to be a big part of the promotion’s return to Montreal for the first time in a decade on May 10, 2025. However, during Saturday’s UFC 314 broadcast, promotion officials confirmed a widely-circulating rumor that their May 17 Fight Night card would instead host the fight, now shifted to five rounds.
Sources had previously confirmed to Cageside Press that the promotion had been in search of a suitable main event for the Apex show. A number of high-profile fights that might have been suitable, including Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev and Johnny Walker vs. Azamat Murzakanov, had been shifted from the card.
The welterweight clash finds two fighters on very different trajectories. Burns, who once fought Kamaru Usman for gold, has lost three straight fights, albeit to top names in the division in Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady, and the man who is now champion, Belal Muhammad.
Morales has never been beaten as a pro, and has won his first five fights under the UFC banner, most recently finishing Neil Magny. He’ll have the edge in age (25 to Burns’ 38), and Burns the obvious edge in high-level experience.
Burns sits at #8, and Morales #12 at 170lbs per the UFC’s official rankings.
UFC Vegas 106 currently features the following line-up:
- Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales
- Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato
- Park Hyun-sung vs. Carlos Hernandez
- Luana Santos vs. Tainara Lisboa
- Tecia Pennington vs. Luana Pinheiro
- Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
- Gabriel Green vs. Matheus Camilo
- Elise Reed vs. Denise Gomes
