UFC 322 Brings Champion vs Champion Showdowns to Madison Square Garden
UFC fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, and the spotlight will be on New York City when UFC 322 lands at Madison Square Garden on November 15. Dana White has confirmed a stacked card, and the main event alone has the kind of storyline that feels historic. Islam Makhachev, the dominant lightweight champion who has already etched his name into the record books, is making the jump up to welterweight. He’s leaving behind his 155-pound throne after four consecutive title defenses, the most in lightweight history, surpassing even his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov. Now, he’ll chase double-champion glory against the new welterweight king, Jack Della Maddalena.
This will be Makhachev’s first crack at a second division title, and his opponent couldn’t be tougher. Della Maddalena has been on a tear since earning his UFC contract in 2021. In just eight UFC fights, he’s not only remained undefeated but also racked up finishes and performance bonuses at a stunning rate. His breakout came earlier this year when he unseated Belal Muhammad to claim the belt, and now, his first defense comes against one of the most suffocating grapplers the sport has ever seen. The intrigue is massive—can Makhachev carry his dominance up a weight class, or will the size and skill of Della Maddalena prove too much to handle?
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As if that weren’t enough, the co-main event at UFC 322 may be the most anticipated women’s fight in years. Valentina Shevchenko, who reclaimed her flyweight title in a grueling trilogy against Alexa Grasso and defended it again with precision against Manon Fiorot, will face Zhang Weili. Zhang, the longtime strawweight champion, is vacating her belt to chase history at 125 pounds. Shevchenko, at 37, remains razor sharp and technical, while Zhang, at 36, has been absolutely dominant at strawweight, turning away nearly every contender with ferocity and skill. This clash isn’t just about a belt—it’s about legacy, and whoever wins will move closer to the status of all-time great.
Adding more firepower to the Madison Square Garden card, former welterweight champion Leon Edwards is set to return against surging Brazilian finisher Carlos Prates. Prates, who wowed fans with his spinning elbow knockout earlier this year, now gets the biggest test of his career against a proven elite in Edwards.
And while the New York card is the headliner, the buildup to UFC 322 will also feature fireworks at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. That event will see the women’s strawweight title contested between Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern, a rematch with gold on the line after Zhang’s move up. Both fighters have taken very different paths since their first meeting, which adds an extra layer of intrigue.
So, two huge events are set, and both carry the kind of fights that could shift divisions and legacies. UFC 321 kicks things off October 25 in Abu Dhabi, and then UFC 322 brings the action to Madison Square Garden on November 15. Fans better buckle in—these cards are loaded.
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