Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev
Detailing The All-Action Lineup Headed To Madison Square Garden On Saturday
By E. Spencer Kyte
Each time the UFC ventures to Madison Square Garden, something special happens. Whether it’s the arrival of the first “Champ-Champ” and three titles changing hands in one evening, the initial “BMF” being crowned, Alex Pereira debuting, win his first title, and then his second in three successive years, or any of the myriad highlight reel finishes and indelible moments that have transpired along the way, the annual November trip to NYC has a way of bringing out the best in the men and women that compete on those cards.
And this week should be no different as UFC 322 rolls into “The World’s Most Famous Arena” with a star-studded lineup capped by twin superfights where all-time greats are looking to add to their illustrious resumes by challenging for gold in a second weight class.
There is a lot to discuss, so let’s get into it.
Welterweight Championship Main Event: Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev
Six months after winning the welterweight title, Jack Della Maddalena puts the belt on the line for the first time, facing off with former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in one of the most fascinating pairings in recent memory.
The 29-year-old champion from Perth is one of the most complete fighters on the roster at the moment; the living embodiment of “jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than one.” He’s skilled in every facet, has outstanding conditioning, pace, and volume, and is someone who gets better as the fight gets closer and tougher and grimier, as evidenced by his winning the decisive fifth round of his title clash with Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in Montreal.
Makhachev is, for my money, the best lightweight in UFC history and the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the sport today; a terror on the canvas with the striking to make you pay for mistakes, confidence and self-belief chiseled out of granite, and so much top-end experience at this point that you know he’s going to rise to the occasion because we’ve seen him do it time and again. He’s often teased a move up to welterweight, and now he finally takes his talents to the 170-pound ranks, where the Russian standout looks to join an exclusive group of fighters to have won UFC gold in two weight classes.
So much of the framing of this fight feels like a case of “the unknown versus the known; the unproven versus the established,” except that doesn’t actually account for the fact that this is happening in Della Maddalena’s natural weight class.
The champion feels like he’s questioned and doubted because of who he beat for the title and, frankly, because he’s a quiet bloke from Australia who simply handles his business whenever called upon and then recedes into the background, content to only be the best welterweight on the planet. Meanwhile, we’ve seen Makhachev dominate and excel so many times in big spots and talk about how taxing fighting at lightweight is on his body that there is a natural inclination to assume the transition will be seamless and that the guy who has won 15 consecutive fights will equal Anderson Silva’s iconic record for most consecutive victories in UFC history by bulldozing his way to another title.
It might happen that way, but Della Maddalena could just as easily show that divisions are in place for a reason and that he’s in no way ready to cede the welterweight throne to anyone, including an all-time great moving up with designs on conquering his territory. This looks like an incredible fight on paper, and no matter how it plays out on Saturday, it will surely leave us with plenty to discuss going forward.
Flyweight Championship Co-Main Event: Valentina Shevchenko vs Zhang Weili
Just as UC 315 featured a flyweight title fight as the penultimate pairing, so too does UFC 322 as champion Valentina Shevchenko welcomes two-time strawweight titleholder Zhang Weili to the 125-pound ranks in this thrilling clash of all-time greats.
Shevchenko successfully retained her title in Montreal with a hard-fought, unanimous decision win over Manon Fiorot, winning the fifth round — and therefore the fight — on two of three scorecards. The 37-year-old from Kyrgyzstan is now 10-1-1 in a dozen flyweight title fights, and 25-4-1 in her illustrious career while showing little sign of slowing down.
Zhang reclaimed the strawweight title three years ago in New York City, mauling Carla Esparza at UFC 281 to kick off her second reign over the 115-pound weight class. Since then, she’s added unanimous decision wins and successful title defenses over Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez to her resume to move to 26-3 overall, and 10-2 in her UFC tenure.
You could make a case for this being the best matchup between female competitors in UFC history, both in terms of overall skills and the achievements the two women carry with them into the Octagon. They’re 24-5-1 in 30 combined UFC appearances with just a single defeat coming in a non-title matchup, and two of the most stacked resumes of vanquished foes you’re going to find.
Stylistically, this one feels as if it hinges on how well Zhang transitions up a division, as a portion of her success at strawweight has been predicated on her strength and overall physicality. Shevchenko is a master technician and tactician, with some of the best counter-striker skills in the business, so it will be interesting to see how the challenger approaches things when these two legends stand opposite one another on Saturday night.
Additional Main Card Matchups
Sean Brady vs Michael Morales
Before the title goes up for grabs, Sean Brady and Michael Morales clash in what could be a bout to establish the clubhouse leader in the chase for the next championship opportunity in the welterweight division.
Brady enters on a three-fight winning streak and brandishing an 18-1 record overall, with his lone setback coming against former champ Belal Muhammad. Back in March, he ventured to London on short notice and steamrolled Leon Edwards, submitting the former titleholder in the fourth round, picking up a performance bonus for his efforts.
Though he was recognized as an intriguing prospect coming off the fifth season of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS), few likely envisioned Morales climbing the ranks and reaching these heights this quickly. The Ecuadorian talent, who trains in Mexico, is 6-0 in the UFC with four finishes, 18-0 overall, and is coming off consecutive first-round stoppage wins over divisional stalwarts Neil Magny and Gilbert Burns.
Will Brady hand Morales his first professional defeat and show it’s his time to challenge for championship gold, or will the undefeated standout continue his dominant march towards the top of the division?
Leon Edwards vs Carlos Prates
In the first of Saturday night’s three main card welterweight pairings, former champ Leon Edwards steps in with dangerous finisher Carlos Prates.
What a difference two years can make. Less than 24 months after registering his second successful title defense at UFC 296, Edwards touches down in NYC on a two-fight skid, facing tons of questions about whether he can get things moving in the right direction again. It’s never been a question of talent with the Birmingham man, but rather self-belief and drive, and if he can turn up with those two things fully stocked, there is no question that “Rocky” can rebound and solidify his footing in the division he once ruled.
Prates dropped a unanimous decision to Ian Machado Garry earlier this year that served as the first UFC loss for the core four of the Sao Paulo-based Fighting Nerds, but he also put the squad back on the winning path with a first-round knockout of Geoff Neal a couple of months later at UFC 319 in Chicago. “The Nightmare” has earned each of his first five UFC victories by stoppage in the opening stanza, and if he adds to that run here, the chain-smoking Brazilian will find himself in the championship conversation heading into 2026.
Basic as it sounds, how this one plays out rests on which version of Edwards turns up on Saturday and whether he’s able to implement his game plan, because you know Prates is coming forward, left hand loaded and ready to fire, eager to finish things quickly. The British standout is the more complete and savvier of the two men, without question, but he needs to be locked in from the jump in order to avoid a third straight loss.
Beneil Dariush vs Benoît Saint Denis
Top 15 lightweights kick off the main card as Beneil Dariush shares the Octagon with Benoit Saint Denis in Saturday’s pay-per-view opener.
Dariush showed he still has a little something left in the tank with a unanimous decision win over Renato Moicano at UFC 317 in Las Vegas. The veteran has lived on the fringes of title contention for the last several years and owns a 9-2 record over his last 11 outings, with a win on Saturday carrying the potential to push him forward into a marquee assignment against someone closer to the top of the division in the first half of next year.
After halting a two-fight losing streak with a second-round submission win at UFC 315, Saint Denis returned home to Paris in September and dominated Mauricio Ruffy, hurting and ultimately submitting the Fighting Nerds representative in the second round. The all-action “God of War” is 7-2 as a lightweight in the UFC and can find his way back into the Top 10 with a victory this weekend.
Can the veteran Dariush lean on his experience and strong showing against Moicano to collect a second straight victory or will Saint Denis collect a third win in seven months to continue this second push up the divisional ranks?
Preliminary Card Pairings
Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira
Bo Nickal and Rodolfo Vieira square off in this matchup of standout middleweight grapplers positioned as the final preliminary card bout of the evening.
The decorated wrestler Nickal suffered the first loss of his MMA career last time out when he was felled by Dutch standout Reinier de Ridder in the second round. A six-time IBJJF world champion at black belt, Vieira has gone 6-3 over his first nine UFC appearances, entering Saturday’s contest off the first decision win of his career.
Roman Kopylov vs Gregory Rodrigues
Chances are high that someone is getting knocked out as Roman Kopylov and Gregory Rodrigues face off in a meeting of middleweight thumpers.
Kopylov opened the year with a last-second stoppage win over Chris Curtis in July but landed on the wrong side of the cards in a clash with Paulo Costa at UFC 318. The 33-year-old Rodrigues comes in from the opposite direction, having dropped his main event assignment against Jared Cannonier in February before collecting a devastating knockout win over Jack Hermansson during International Fight Week in June.
Erin Blanchfield vs Tracy Cortez
The result of their first meeting on the regional circuit remains a topic of debate, but this weekend, Erin Blanchfield and Tracy Cortez meet in New York with a place at the top of the flyweight division in their sights.
Blanchfield earned a steely unanimous decision win over Rose Namajunas last November in Edmonton, but hasn’t fought since after her end-of-May bout with Maycee Barber was cancelled just as the duo readied to walk to the Octagon. Cortez, who landed on the happy side of a split decision verdict in their first encounter, lost to Namajunas on short notice last July and then rebounded with a strong decision win over Viviane Araujo at UFC 317 in July.
Malcolm Wellmaker vs Cody Haddon
Malcolm Wellmaker and Cody Haddon share the Octagon in this meeting of promising bantamweights from the DWCS Class of ’24.
Wellmaker has been one of the top newcomers in the UFC so far this year, earning a pair of first-round stoppage wins and performance bonuses while establishing himself as one to watch in the 135-pound weight class. Haddon was the first member of the 2024 graduating class to earn a UFC victory when he bested Dan Argueta last October, but the Perth man has been sidelined by injuries ever since.
Kyle Daukaus vs Gerald Meerschaert
Fresh off a triumphant return to the Octagon, Kyle Daukaus looks to continue his winning ways, while grizzled veteran Gerald Meerschaert aims to get things moving in the right direction again in this entertaining middleweight fixture.
Following an 18-month, four-fight stint back under the CFFC banner, Daukaus resurfaced in the UFC in August, venturing to Shanghai and knocking out Michel Pereira in 43 seconds to announce his return to the 185-pound ranks. Ever-dangerous and one of the most experienced competitors on the roster, Meerschaert arrives in NYC looking to halt a three-fight slide and collect his first win since submitting Edmen Shahbazyan in the summer of 2024.
Pat Sabatini vs Chepe Mariscal
Pat Sabatini and Chepe Mariscal meet in the second rematch of a competitive regional clash taking place on the biggest stage in the sport this weekend in New York City.
Sabatini scored a dominant decision win over Joanderson Brito in April to give him consecutive victories and a 7-2 record inside the Octagon heading into this one. Mariscal carries an eight-fight winning streak into this one, having earned victories in each of his first five UFC appearances, as well as one in the first meeting between these two all the way back in 2018.
Angela Hill vs Fatima Kline
Strawweight rankings mainstay Angela Hill faces off with highly regarded prospect and New York representative Fatima Kline in this fascinating preliminary card matchup.
The 40-year-old Hill holds a number of records in the 115-pound weight class and touches down in NYC in search of a return to the win column and a second victory this year. Kline has gone 2-0 since returning to strawweight following her short-notice debut at flyweight last year, earning second- and third-round stoppage wins over Viktoriia Dudakov and Melissa Martinez, respectively.
Baisangur Susurkaev vs Eric McConico
Baisangur Susurkaev and Eric McConico clash in a meeting of middleweights aiming to build off earning their initial UFC triumph last time out.
Susurkaev went from earning a contract in the opening week of the most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series to collecting a second-round stoppage win in his debut four days later and now makes his sophomore appearance on a full camp. After landing on the wrong side of things in his February debut, McConico collected a split decision win over veteran Cody Brundage in August to get himself moving in the right direction again.
Viacheslav Borshchev vs Matheus Camilo
Lightweights Viacheslav Borshchev and Matheus Camilo will kick things off at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
“Slava Claus” has gone 3-5-1 over his first nine UFC appearances, having earned just a single victory over his last five trips into the Octagon. Camilo dropped his debut to Gabe Green in May and fights here after venturing to Abu Dhabi last month, only for his UFC 321 bout to be cancelled a couple of days prior to the event.
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