Lightweight contender Joel Alvarez has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming fight against Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 315 this Saturday in Montreal.
Alvarez, known as “El Fenomeno,” announced Sunday that a hand injury is the reason for his withdrawal. He stated that the injury is expected to restrict his training for approximately three weeks. He did not provide an estimated date for his potential return to competition.
It currently remains uncertain what the UFC plans for Benoit Saint Denis. Options could include rescheduling the fight against Alvarez, finding a new opponent for Saint Denis on short notice for UFC 315, or booking Saint Denis for a separate bout at a later event.
Alvarez boasts a professional mixed martial arts record of 22 wins and 3 losses. He is currently on a three-fight winning streak and has secured victories in seven of his last eight appearances. Notably, all 22 of his professional wins have come by way of finish, either knockout or submission.
Similarly, Benoit Saint Denis holds a professional record of 13 wins, 3 losses, and 1 No Contest. All 13 of the French fighter`s victories have also come via finish. However, Saint Denis is looking to bounce back from consecutive losses in his most recent outings against Renato Moicano and Dustin Poirier.
UFC 315 is scheduled to proceed this Saturday at the Bell Centre, headlined by two championship contests. In the main event, Belal Muhammad will defend the welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena. The co-main event features Valentina Shevchenko defending the flyweight championship against Manon Fiorot.
