One of the greatest fights in the history of women’s MMA, if not the greatest fight in the history of women’s MMA, now has its rightful place in the UFC Hall of Fame.
The UFC 248 women’s strawweight championship contest between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk has been announced as the newest inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2026, as part of its Fight Wing.
The announcement was made during the UFC 326 broadcast. It marks the first women’s fight to be honored in the UFC Hall of Fame.
Over five rounds, the two women clashed relentlessly, putting on jaw-dropping striking displays against one another. Jedrzejczyk displayed strong combinations, while Zhang found great success with her powerful punching.
Neither fighter appeared to slow down their momentum, and nearly all five rounds could have fallen either fighters’ way. Jedrzejczyk sported a massive hematoma on her head by the fight’s end, but the two went pillar to post, back-and-forth for a full 25 minutes.
Zhang earned the decision win, but both women were seen as winners after the fight, which earned 2020’s Fight of the Year honors.
This is Jedrzejczyk’s second UFC Hall of Fame induction, being named an individual entrant inducted into the Modern Wing in 2024.
The fight joins Dominick Cruz in the UFC Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.
For the ninth time in its history, the UFC landed in “The City That Never Sleeps,” as Madison Square Garden played host to UFC 322 — highlighted by a pair of stellar super title fights.
A card in November at MSG has been an annual UFC tradition (minus the heavily-restricted 2020) since 2016, when the sport of Mixed Martial Arts was finally legalized in New York. Last year’s MSG event saw Jon Jones send Stipe Miocic into retirement in a heavyweight championship headliner.
The main event of this year’s MSG show saw Jack Della Maddalena put the UFC welterweight championship on the line against Islam Makhachev. This marked JDM’s first title defense since capturing it at UFC 315 in May with a win over Belal Muhammad. Makhachev is the former UFC lightweight champion, having won that title by defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 and retaining it against Alexander Volkanovski, Dustin Poirier, and Renato Moicano.
The co-main event saw perhaps the two best women in the UFC doing battle, as Valentina Shevchenko defended the UFC women’s flyweight title against Weili Zhang. Shevchenko is a two-time champion who has been a dominant force in the division since 2018. After regaining the gold from Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC 2: UFC 306, she defended the title successfully against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315. Zhang is a two-time former UFC strawweight champion, defeating Carla Esparza to start her second reign that featured wins over Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
Who made a statement under the big city lights? Who cracked under the pressure? Let’s go through together with the Hits and Misses of UFC 322!
I have to wonder if Dana White is having any buyer’s remorse about signing Baisangur Susurkaev. He’s gotten two wins in the UFC, but neither has been particularly good.
He has to be given credit for taking the opportunity to fight on just a few days’ notice when he earned his UFC contract, but the fight against Eric Nolan proved to be not the most outstanding. Against Eric McConico, many felt the fight had no business entering the third round.
The knockout itself was great and shows his power. But we also need to see more from Susurkaev if he’s going to display the ego and confidence that he does.
Hit: Daukaus Does It Again
Probably one of the best feel-good stories for the Octagon in 2025 is the re-emergence of Kyle Daukaus. And after stopping Michel Pereira in less than a minute at UFC Shanghai, he followed it up with another highlight, sub-minute finish of Gerald Meerschaert.
Daukaus needed just one flurry to put Meerschaert in trouble. After scoring a knockdown, Daukaus jumped right on and locked up a choke, earning a submission victory.
The way Daukaus has performed, he deserves a main card spot for his next UFC bout. And if he continues to perform the way he has, he’s going to be one of the most fun fighters to watch.
Hit: Another Successful Ewing In MSG
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Patrick Ewing entertained and earned the hearts of New York Knicks fans with his play in Madison Square Garden, helping the Knicks to two Eastern Conference titles in the process. In November 2025, Ethyn Ewing, just one week after winning a championship in 1AC, made his UFC debut on short notice and pulled off a highlight of his own.
The highly-touted Malcolm Wellmaker seemed to trouble him in the early stages of the fight, making things look like he’d earn another win in a memorable 2025 for him. But Ewing fought back, doing damage in the clinch and turning the tide in his favor.
While Wellmaker used body work during the second round, Ewing had his own moments and connected on some hard clinch knees, before using his boxing and takedowns in the third to seal the victory and end Wellmaker’s undefeated record.
Wellmaker will be back; no need to worry about him. But for Ewing, he’s just opened doors to more opportunities with what he displayed.
Hit: Blanchfield Vies For Title Shot
Erin Blanchfield has been a rising women’s flyweight fighter since arriving from Invicta in 2021, but she hasn’t been able to secure a title shot just yet. That may all have changed following her finish of Tracy Cortez.
Blanchfield baffled people during the first round by trying to stand and trade in a kickboxing battle with Cortez, who got the better of Blanchfield in the striking game. But Blanchfield worked her way back in the second round and scored a takedown. Blanchfield then used her grappling to work her way into a couple of choke attempts, with the second scoring her the submission win.
Blanchfield has now avenged one of the two losses in her MMA career, with the other coming against recent title challenger Manon Fiorot. Perhaps her resume has shown more than enough now to get the next shot at the 125-pound gold.
Hit: Bo Knows The KO
Bo Nickal needed to show a big performance after losing in grand fashion to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines earlier this year. He did that and then some, not only demonstrating his excellent wrestling, but now also his continuing-to-evolve striking.
Nickal easily scooped Rodolfo Vieira up and slammed him in the first round, laying into him with a series of knees and punches before threatening a guillotine choke. After continuing to lay into Vieira in the second, Nickal used his left hand to set up a devastating left head kick that crushed Vieira and sent him to La La Land.
Is Bo Nickal ready for next-level competition? No, and the RdR fight was typical UFC pushing fighters too quickly. But this performance showed he is getting better, and if he can have performances like this another couple of times, then I think you give him tougher competition.
Hit: Sacre Bleu, Saint-Denis
Benoit Saint-Denis barely broke a sweat in his fight that opened the pay-per-view card, obliterating Beneil Dariush and making his case for a higher spot in the UFC’s lightweight rankings.
After Dariush tripped him up with a couple of low kicks to start the fight, Saint-Denis needed just a couple of blows to the head to make Dariush faceplant.
This now marks three straight wins for BSD, with his only two losses in the Octagon coming in hearty performances against Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano. BSD should certainly be in the top 10 at lightweight in a couple of days, but he should also be getting a huge contenders fight in his next matchup.
Miss: Dariush’s Title Dreams Dashed?
Let’s go back to UFC 289 – Beneil Dariush has won eight straight and is in a pivotal battle with Charles Oliveira. If he wins this fight, Dariush probably earns a lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev.
Instead, Dariush lost that fight, and the loss to BSD now means he’s lost three of his last four. Dariush is 36, but he’s also been a name in the UFC for a while now. I’m not going to say his best days are behind him; he did score a win over Renato Moicano earlier this year after all. But at this point, he might just be a gatekeeper for others making their way up the 155-pound ranks. Unless he’s somehow willing to switch divisions?
Hit: Carlos Prates Makes Emphatic Statement
The Fighting Nerds may have some of their momentum back, and it all comes courtesy of Carlos Prates. He’s now earned the biggest win of his UFC career, taking out the very man who spurred the popularity of the “Head shot. Dead.” phrase with his own highlight knockout — former welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
Edwards looked to use his grappling earlier on, pressing Prates to the fence. Prates then engaged in a trash talk battle, daring Edwards into a striking contest. Eventually, Prates’ striking helped him get success, landing a left hand that dropped Edwards out cold in a bad way.
Prates has continued to rack up finish after finish, with his only loss in the Octagon coming against Ian Machado Garry — a fight where he nearly finished things in the fifth in comeback fashion. Prates has solidified himself as a name in the welterweight title picture now, and a title eliminator should be in his near future.
Miss: Leon Edwards Eats Three Ls
Leon Edwards has never looked as bad as he has in his last three fights now. He was dominated by Belal Muhammad in their title fight. He then gets decimated by Sean Brady earlier this year in London. Now, after all the talk about not facing a wrestler, Edwards tries to use wrestling and gets worked up into a strategy that got him straight-up knocked out for the first time in his UFC career.
After these three consecutive losses, Edwards might find himself one loss away from exiting the top 10. And with how dangerous welterweight is with all the up-and-comers in the division, it’s going to be a long, hard back to the top of the mountain for “Rocky.”
Hit: Michael Morales Makes Case For Title Shot
A question surrounding this fight was if Brady’s grappling or Morales’ striking was going to be too much for the other. We got our answer, as Morales put away Brady and seems to have racked up the next title shot at 170.
But then, Brady tried to get his striking going. And he paid the price for it as Morales landed a flurry that troubled him. After getting dropped once, Brady was dropped again from another Morales combination, with Morales landing follow-up shots to put the fight away.
Morales is now 19-0 and has now put away Brady, Gilbert Burns, and Neil Magny in his three most recent fights. I’m not sure what Dana White is thinking considering him, Carlos Prates, and Ian Machado Garry, but Morales is due for a title shot if White’s words as the press conference are anything to go by.
Miss: Super Title Fights Aren’t So Super
For all the great highlights that UFC 322 provided, it’s a shame that the two title fights ended up being perhaps the worst part of everything.
With Islam Makhachev looking to make history and the two best women’s fighters in the UFC today doing battle, you would have thought we’d have more competitive outings. Instead, in both matchups, one fighter proved to be the more superior by a seeming mile.
Makhachev’s ground dominance was one way the fight could have gone, but JDM’s performance is being panned across the board. Zhang, meanwhile, had shockingly no answer for the ground game of Shevchenko.
It’s not that UFC 322 is a bad card at all, but for some, the way the two title fights played out left a sour taste.
Hit: Who Can Stop Valentina?
But, let’s talk about Shevchenko. She has dominated through the women’s flyweight scene. Even when she got caught and lost to Alexa Grasso, she worked her way back in the latter two fights the pair had. Now, she’s just taken out the most dangerous force that could have come up from 115.
Valentina Shevchenko has tied Amanda Nunes for most title fight wins in UFC women's history with 11 👊
So, what is next for her? Will Shevchenko defend against someone like a Natalia Silva or an Erin Blanchfield? Will she eye her way back up to 135 — where she took Amanda Nunes to the limit twice? Time will tell.
Hit: Makhachev Makes History
And then there’s Makhachev. He may have some of the best wrestling that can be found in the UFC today. He looked great at 170, not undersized at all. It looked as if everything that Makhachev had while dominating the lightweight scene was still found at welterweight.
LEGACY CONFIRMED 🏆🏆@MAKHACHEVMMA tied Anderson Silva last night with his 16th straight win for the longest win streak in UFC history 👏
Will we get Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev now? Will Morales, Prates, or Garry get the first crack at him? It will be fun to see what the UFC matchmaking crew decides.
A fight featuring the two best pound-for-pound female athletes in the UFC ended in a one-sided whopping, as Valentina Shevchenko wiped the floor with Weili Zhang to retain the women’s flyweight title in the UFC 322 co-main event.
After some early trading and feeling out, Shevchenko scored first blood by dropping Zhang with a knee to the body. Zhang stopped the efforts of Shevchenko to get in full mount and worked her way to the feet; however, Shevchenko seemed to rock her again with a backfist.
Shevchenko got Zhang back to the ground and ended up dominating in side control and the crucifix for nearly the entire second round. Zhang had her moments in a third round that was quieter, but Shevchenko scored another takedown with 90 seconds left in the frame.
Shevchenko did more damage to Zhang in the fourth round, focusing on the body. Even when Zhang landed a kick to the body, Shevchenko grabbed her leg and scored yet another takedown.
Valentina Shevchenko Dominates Weili Zhang At UFC 322
Shevchenko lost and won back the UFC women’s flyweight title in her trilogy bout with Alexa Grasso. She then successfully retained against Manon Fiorot earlier this year at UFC 315.
Zhang won back the UFC women’s strawweight title by defeating Carla Esparza at UFC 281. She retained against Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez before vacating the title to challenge Shevchenko.
UFC 322 is here, and we here at MMA News are here to provide you the latest on betting odds for the card.
The card takes place from Madison Square Garden, in New York City, on Saturday, November 15. The pay-per-view main card portion of the event will start at 10PM ET/6PM PT, with preliminary action starting at 6PM ET/3PM PT.
The headline attraction for the event will feature a UFC welterweight championship matchup between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev.
The co-main event will see the UFC women’s strawweight championship on the line as Valentina Shevchenko defends against Weili Zhang.
The pay-per-view main card will also feature Sean Brady taking on Michael Morales, Leon Edwards facing Carlos Prates, and Beneil Dariush going up against Benoit Saint-Denis.
UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 322 as of 8:30pm ET on November 14, courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Welterweight Championship: Jack Della Maddalena (+245) vs. Islam Makhachev (-305)
Women’s Flyweight Championship: Valentina Shevchenko (-135) vs. Weili Zhang (+114)
Welterweight: Sean Brady (-135) vs. Michael Morales (+114)
Welterweight: Leon Edwards (+136) vs. Carlos Prates (-162)
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush (+150) vs. Benoit Saint-Denis (-180)
Preliminary Card:
Middleweight: Bo Nickal (-198) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (+164)
Middleweight: Roman Kopylov (+154) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (-185)
Women’s Flyweight: Erin Blanchfield (-270) vs. Tracy Cortez (+220)
Middleweight: Kyle Daukaus (-470) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (+360)
Early Preliminary Card:
Featherweight: Pat Sabatini (-118) vs. Chepe Mariscal (-102)
Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill (+390) vs. Fatima Kline (-520)
Middleweight: Baisangur Susurkaev (-1050) vs. Eric McConico (+675)
Lightweight: Viascheslav Borschev (+145) vs. Matheus Camilo (-175)
We’re 24 hours away from UFC 322, and MMA News is here to bring you the video from the ceremonial weigh-ins for the card!
UFC 322 takes place on November 15 from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The main event will see Jack Della Maddalena defend the UFC welterweight championship against Islam Makhachev. This marks JDM’s first title defense since defeating Belal Muhammad for the gold at UFC 315. Makachev moves up to welterweight after a run as lightweight champion, which began with a win over Charles Oliveira and contained successful defenses against Alexander Volkanovski, Dustin Poirier, and Renato Moicano.
The co-main event will see the top two UFC female fighters in action, as Valentina Shevchenko defends the UFC women’s flyweight championship against Weili Zhang. Shevchenko, in her second run as champion of the division she has dominated since 2018, retained the championship against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315. Zhang, meanwhile, moves up to 125 after two title runs at strawweight. Her second reign began with a win over Carla Esparza and saw defenses against Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
The rest of the main card sees welterweight action between Sean Brady and Michael Morales, a welterweight showdown featuring former champion Leon Edwards and rising contender Carlos Prates, and a lightweight battle that sees Beneil Dariush pitted against Benoit Saint-Denis.
The ceremonial weigh-ins present the last opportunity for opponents to face off before they meet inside the Octagon. Check them out below via the UFC’s official YouTube channel!
We are just one day away from UFC 322, and we’ve got the official weigh-in results for you here at MMA News.
UFC 322 takes place from Madison Square Garden in New York City, featuring a number of noteworthy names topped off with two highly anticipated title fights.
The main event will see Jack Della Maddalena defend the UFC welterweight championship against Islam Makhachev.
This will mark JDM’s first title defense since capturing the gold with a decision win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May. Della Maddalena has won 18 fights in a row and has a perfect Octagon record, having not dropped a fight since losing his first two pro outings.
The one-loss Makhachev is the former UFC lightweight champion. He defeated Charles Oliveira for the title at UFC 280 and has since retained the belt against Alexander Volkanovski, Dustin Poirier, and Renato Moicano. He vacated the belt to move up to 170.
The co-main event will see the top two UFC pound-for-pound female fighters clash, as Valentina Shevchenko puts the women’s flyweight title on the line against Weili Zhang.
Shevchenko has been a mainstay in the division since moving there from bantamweight in 2018, becoming a two-time champion in the process. After losing and regaining the gold in her trilogy with Alexa Grasso, Shevchenko retained the title against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315. Zhang is a two-time former strawweight champion. Her second reign began at UFC 281, and she went on to retain against Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
The rest of the main card sees welterweight contenders Sean Brady and Michael Morales in battle, as well as former welterweight champion Leon Edwards being putting up against Carlos Prates and lightweight action featuring Beneil Dariush and Benoit Saint-Denis.
UFC 322 Weigh-In Video, Results
UFC 322 takes place Saturday, November 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.
See above to watch the UFC 322 Weigh-In Show, and check out the full results below.
Main Card:
Welterweight Championship: Jack Della Maddalena (169.8) vs. Islam Makhachev (170)
Women’s Flyweight Championship: Valentina Shevchenko (124.6) vs. Weili Zhang (124.6)
Welterweight: Sean Brady (169.4) vs. Michael Morales (170.6)
Welterweight: Leon Edwards (170) vs. Carlos Prates (169.6)
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush (157.2)* vs. Benoit Saint-Denis (155.6)
Preliminary Card:
Middleweight: Bo Nickal (185.8) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (186)
Middleweight: Roman Kopylov (185.2) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (185.8)
Women’s Flyweight: Erin Blanchfield (125.8) vs. Tracy Cortez (125.6)
Bantamweight: Malcolm Wellmaker (143.6) vs. Cody Haddon (145.2)
Early Preliminary Card:
Middleweight: Kyle Daukaus (186) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185.6)
Featherweight: Pat Sabatini (145.6) vs. Chepe Mariscal (145.6)
Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill (115.6) vs. Fatima Kline (115.4)
Middleweight: Baisangur Susurkaev (185.2) vs. Eric McConico (185.6)
Lightweight: Viascheslav Borschev (155.8) vs. Matheus Camilo (155.8)
*Dariush fined 20 percent of his purse for weight miss
UFC 322 is just a couple of days away, featuring a pair of highly anticipated super title fights headlining the show. Time to stir the pot more and gain more hype for UFC 322, courtesy of a good ol’ fashion question-and-answer session.
The 12th UFC pay-per-view event of the year goes down from Madison Square Garden, in New York City, on Saturday, November 15.
UFC 322 will be headlined by Jack Della Maddalena defending the UFC welterweight championship against Islam Makhachev.
The co-main event will see Valentina Shevchenko put the UFC women’s flyweight championship on the line against Weili Zhang.
The rest of the main card sees a welterweight clash between Sean Brady and Michael Morales, former welterweight champ Leon Edwards facing Carlos Prates, and a lightweight battle between Beneil Dariush and Benoit Saint-Denis.
Watch The UFC 322: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev Pre-Fight Press Conference
As per tradition, the UFC pay-per-view main card participants will be featured in a press conference during fight week. This is the opportunity for fighters to answer questions from media and fans, as well as potentially lay in some smack talk on their opponents.
The UFC brings a pair of super title fights to its annual November pay-per-view outing in New York City this Saturday for UFC 322. Get yourself ready and in the know with another edition of MMA News staff fight predictions.
The event will be available exclusively on ESPN pay-per-view on Saturday, November 15. The main card will begin at 10pm ET, with preliminary card action kicking off at 6pm ET.
The main event will see the UFC welterweight championship on the line as Jack Della Maddalena defends against former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Della Maddalena has won 18 straight fights since dropping the first two of his professional MMA career. This includes a perfect 8-0 record in the Octagon, which includes wins over Kevin Holland Gilbert Burns. This is JDM’s first title defense since defeating Belal Muhammad to capture the gold at UFC 315 in May.
The 27-1 Makhachev spent most of the last approximately three years as UFC lightweight champion, capturing the title with a win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. He defended the belt against Alexander Volkanovski twice, Dustin Poirier, and Renato Moicano before vacating the title to move up to 170.
A similar situation can be found in the co-main event of the evening, as Valentina Shevchenko puts up the women’s flyweight championship against Weili Zhang in a battle of the UFC’s top-two women’s pound-for-pound combatants.
Shevchenko is in the midst of her second reign as flyweight champion, reclaiming the gold in a trilogy bout with Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC 2: UFC 306. Shevchenko retained the title against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315. Zhang is a former two-time women’s strawweight champion, reclaiming the title with a win over Carla Esparza at UFC 281 and defending it successfully against Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
The rest of the main card will see a welterweight battle featuring Sean Brady and Michael Morales, another welterweight scrap with former champion Leon Edwards facing Carlos Prates, and a lightweight battle that sees Beneil Dariush take on Benoit Saint-Denis.
UFC 322: MMA News Staff Predictions
With UFC 322 just a couple of short days away, Ryan Jarrell, Pranav Pandey, and myself (Thomas Albano) have provided our picks for the fights that make up the main card.
Below, you can check out the current leaderboard through 11 cards in 2025.
Thomas Albano (30-21) Ryan Jarrell (28-23) Pranav Pandey (27-24)
And now, let’s take a look at everyone’s picks for UFC 322!
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Images: UFC.com
Thomas Albano: When Beneil Dariush got re-booked against Renato Moicano at UFC 317, with Moicano coming off the last-minute title shot at the start of the year, I thought that was going to spell the end of Dariush’s time in the top 10 of the lightweight contender rankings. But somehow he was able to pull through and come out on top.
I doubt lightning strikes twice here. Benoit Saint-Denis has proven to be a strong, durable, and scrappy fighter in this weight class. He has looked great even in his losses the past couple of years. BSD is going to have the advantage in terms of both size and striking. Both men have noteworthy grappling abilities, with Dariush holding a particular edge in this regard. If Dariush can’t get BSD to the ground, however, I don’t think he’s able to hold up well against Saint-Denis’ strikes. (Prediction: Saint-Denis)
Ryan Jarrell: I am all the way back in on the BSD hype train after seeing what BSD did in his last fight which was an extremely impressive win over top prospect Mauricio Ruffy. Dariush is a tough well rounded veteran, but at this stage of his career I’m not sure he can hang with Benoit if he is at his best. As long as the ‘God of War’ shows up like he did against Ruffy, I definitely expect him to overwhelm and beat up Dariush over three rounds and he may very well find the finish. (Prediction: Saint-Denis)
Pranav Pandey: Dariush regained his footing after two tough knockout losses by earning a solid decision over Renato Moicano, and he showed he still has high-level skills. But at this stage of his career, I feel like the margins are getting thinner for him, and facing someone like Saint Denis is far from ideal.
“God of War” brings youth, power and a ruthless finishing instinct. Dariush has never been the type to back down or fade, but when I weigh their momentum, I end up leaning toward BSD taking this one. (Prediction: Saint-Denis)
Consensus: 3-0 Saint-Denis
Welterweight: Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates
Images: UFC.com
Thomas Albano: I think this is a situation where Leon Edwards has everything to lose and Carlos Prates has everything to gain. Edwards’ two most recent fights – against Sean Brady and Belal Muhammad – have not been his best showings. And now he has to face Prates, who has proven himself to be a dangerous striker – even in his loss to Ian Machado Garry earlier this year. There are two things that can turn this fight in Edwards’ favor. Firstly, if he makes this more of a technical striking matchup than trying to match power for power, Edwards can win this fight. Secondly, if he can spend time on the ground with Prates and bring him to the mat, Edwards can win this fight. Prates and the Fighting Nerds are in need of some major momentum to come back to their side, and if he can defeat Edwards here by managing the power of his strikes well, that will be what is needed. (Prediction: Prates)
Ryan Jarrell: Carlos Prates’ stoppage win over Geoff Neal was truly remarkable. It was important for ‘The Nitemare’ to remind the MMA community just how scary he truly is, especially after suffering his first loss inside the octagon to a game Machado Garry. This matchup with Leon will be a strikers delight and could very well steal the show as fight of the night. Leon is very technical and will definitely give Prates some problems early on as the two tussle to find one another’s timing. But to me, the difference will be the violent nature of strikes that Carlos always seems to bring to the table. I could see Prates getting a finish but the more likely outcome is Prates landing the more significant strikes and winning a decision over the former champion. (Prediction: Prates)
Pranav Pandey: Leon Edwards, once riding a remarkable 13-fight unbeaten streak with two title defenses, hasn’t looked like himself lately. In his last two outings, he seemed a step behind, struggling to match the pace and intensity of his opponents. If he hasn’t patched those holes, he could find himself in serious danger here because Prates is the last person you want to give openings to. The Brazilian is a razor-sharp sniper on the feet.
“The Nightmare” has been tearing through opponents with knockouts. Aside from a tight loss to Ian Garry, he has been nearly flawless. For me, UFC 322 feels like his moment to break through in a big way. I honestly see this matchup leaning in Prates’ favour if Edwards shows the same inconsistencies we’ve seen recently. (Prediction: Prates)
Consensus: 3-0 Prates
Welterweight: Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales
Images: UFC.com
Thomas Albano: Of all the non-title fights present on this UFC 322 card, this is the one I am struggling with the most. You’ve got two rising names in the weight class who are extremely talented and have some wins over noteworthy names under their belt. This is definitely the fight I have the most uncertainty with and just want to kick back and watch it all happen. Ultimately, Michael Morales is the better, more powerful striker; however, Sean Brady is the better overall performer. This is not a striker vs. grappler battle, but I think it comes to that. If Brady can take Morales’ power and can take him down and neutralize Morales’ offense, the fight is his. But if Brady gets cracked in the same way that Belal Muhammad (of all people) cracked him, that doesn’t spell good news for him. If I had to lean one way, give me Brady to be the one to put the first L in Morales’ career. I will say, however, a win here for Morales, and we might legitimately be looking at someone who can pose a threat to the 170-pound title starting in 2026 or 2027. (Prediction: Brady)
Ryan Jarrell: I am so excited for this matchup. This is your striker versus grappler fight with huge future #1 contender implications on the line. Both of these guys will be around the top of the division for years to come and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see these two match up again down the line. I was extremely impressed with what Sean Brady did in his wins over Edwards, Burns and Gastelum. Brady will have to be incredibly careful on the feet when entering for a takedown because Morales is a sniper. But I do think we will see somewhat of a grappling clinic put on by Brady throughout fifteen minutes. Morales is a live dog here and could easily catch Sean coming in and close the show. But I’m leaning Brady to continue doing what we have seen lately and smother his opponent en route to a clear victory. (Prediction: Brady)
Pranav Pandey: Brady looked so dominant in his last performance that he made Leon Edwards appear completely out of rhythm. His consistency stands out, and it genuinely feels like he’s sharpening his game every time he fights. The only real blemish on his record is the loss to Belal, and even then, I believe he simply got caught on an off night.
Meanwhile, Morales brings serious knockout danger, and he doesn’t need many openings to end a fight. His last two finishes over seasoned veterans Gilbert Burns and Neil Magny were the kind of wins that make you stop and take notice, and he handled both with almost casual ease. If the young Ecuadorian can stay disciplined, keep the distance and avoid being dragged into Brady’s grappling radius, I think he has a very real chance of landing something clean and game-changing. (Prediction: Morales)
Consensus: 2-1 Brady
Women’s Flyweight Championship: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Weili Zhang
Images: UFC.com
Thomas Albano: I have long been dreaming of this fight, and I am so excited that we’re finally get to see it go down – and on a major world stage like MSG, too. These are legitimately the two best women’s fighters in the UFC now, and this is one of the hardest fights on this card to pick. Ultimately, however, I am going to lean toward Valentina Shevchenko. While Shevchenko has had a couple of down performances over the past couple of years, she has been a consistent mainstay in the flyweight division’s title picture since moving there in 2018. And other than Alexa Grasso catching her with a submission, we haven’t seen anyone bring her down. I don’t think any of Weili Zhang’s recent title challengers have brought her the preparation needed for facing a dangerous striker like Shevchenko – who, remember, moved down a weight class when she moved to 125, rather than Zhang, who is moving up. I think we will see an awesome scrap, but I think Shevchenko does enough to retain her title. (Prediction: Shevchenko)
Ryan Jarrell: This is such a tough fight to pick. These are two of the absolute best women’s fighters of all time, so the fans should be in for a real treat. I think it’s safe to say Valentina will have the size and strength advantage. While Weili will have the speed advantage on the feet. To me, Weili has to use her speed and movement to frustrate Valentina on the feet and stuff the takedowns that will most certainly come her way. I think we will see an extremely close fight where Shevchenko steals the 50/50 rounds with a timely takedown and top control. I can see this fight going either way, but I’ll lean Valentina to win a split decision. (Prediction: Shevchenko)
Pranav Pandey: When I look at this matchup, it feels like one of the most intriguing clashes in women’s MMA right now. Their skill sets line up so closely. With Weili moving up a division, I don’t see toughness being an issue at all. She’s as durable and explosive as they come, and I genuinely believe she can push Shevchenko in ways very few have. “Magnum” has a style that mirrors Valentina’s in many ways. Her striking remains her strongest weapon, yet what really stands out to me is how much her grappling has evolved, even at 36.
On the other side, Shevchenko has spent years beating the best of the best and establishing herself as one of the greatest women’s fighters ever. She’s still incredibly composed and well-rounded, and she never fades mentally. But even though she regained her belt and defended it, I feel like that untouchable aura she used to have has softened a bit. She hasn’t looked quite as dominant lately, especially against strong grapplers, where she has shown some vulnerabilities.
If Weili comes in with a smart mix of pressure, level changes and her usual high-paced striking, I think she has a real chance to walk out as a two-division champion. (Prediction: Zhang)
Consensus: 2-1 Shevchenko
Welterweight Championship: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev
Images: UFC.com
Thomas Albano: I was left jaw-dropped by Jack Della Maddalena, as he was able to stop the takedown efforts of Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 and worked his way to a decision win and the UFC welterweight title. It was a win that shook things up a little bit in the UFC; however, I feel that win might all be for naught with him going up against Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev, point blank, is one of the best, if not the best, pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC. Della Maddalena might have been able to stop the takedown efforts seen in Muhammad’s wrestling, but how many times have we been told (and seen) that Dagestani wrestling is a different kind of animal? JDM is a tough dog when it comes to his boxing, but I doubt he’ll be able to have the same kind of takedown defense success against Makhachev. I expect Makhachev to bring this fight to the ground often and control the action en route to a mid-to-late fight finish and earn UFC gold in a second weight class, furthering his legacy. (Prediction: Makhachev)
Ryan Jarrell: I just want to be clear and admit that I am a big JDM fan and I am cheering for him to get this win. Having said that, my head is telling me that Islam will become the 11th fighter in UFC history to win a title in two weight classes. JDM had a great performance against Belal, but he really struggled in previous fights against Basil Hafez, Kevin Holland and Gilbert Burns. If JDM had issues against those fighters, then he definitely will against the former 155 champ. I expect the striking and power advantage to lean towards JDM, but Islam does such a masterful job of mixing things up and at the end of the day, his grappling is world class. Because of that, I have to lean towards Islam winning this fight via decision and cementing himself as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. Bring on Islam vs Ilia! (Prediction: Makhachev)
Pranav Pandey: This matchup is one of the hardest calls on the entire card. oth guys are elite in what they do, and the dynamics of this fight make it feel genuinely close. Della Maddalena showed in his last outing that he’s got a rock-solid blueprint for shutting down high-level wrestlers. The way he stuffed Belal Muhammad’s attempts and kept his striking sharp and punishing was a statement. His boxing is crisp, his counters are nasty, and once he finds his rhythm, he’s a problem for anyone at 170.
But here is the catch. Makhachev is not your typical grappler. Even moving up to welterweight, I do not think strength will be an issue for him. He has built a career on making elite opponents look helpless once he gets his hands on them. And it is not just the wrestling. His ability to blend striking with constant grappling threats is what makes him such a dangerous fighter. That blend could create serious problems for the Aussie champ.
Still, for this one, I find myself leaning toward Della Maddalena. I think he will be incredibly tough to take down, even tougher to keep down, and confident enough to engage when things get scrambly. Plus, he has a bit of a roadmap in how Alexander Volkanovski approached Makhachev in their first meeting. (Prediction: Della Maddalena)
Consensus: 2-1 Makhachev
That’ll do it for our UFC 322 staff picks! What do you think? Do your predictions look similar? Let us know in the comments section!
Also, you can check out the full UFC 322 card below.
Main Card:
Welterweight Championship: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev
Women’s Flyweight Championship: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Weili Zhang
Welterweight: Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales
Welterweight: Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Preliminary Card:
Middleweight: Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira
Middleweight: Roman Kopylov vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Women’s Flyweight: Erin Blanchfield vs. Tracy Cortez
Bantamweight: Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Cody Haddon
Early Preliminary Card:
Middleweight: Kyle Daukaus vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Featherweight: Pat Sabatini vs. Chepe Mariscal
Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill vs. Fatima Kline
Middleweight: Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric McConico
Lightweight: Viascheslav Borschev vs. Matheus Camilo
UFC 321 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 322 in New York City.
The promotion was in Abu Dhabi last week, where the Etihad Arena played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its tenth numbered event of the year. Of note was a no contest between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, a headline win for Mackenzie Dern, as well as important victories for Umar Nurmagomedov, Alexander Volkov, and Azamat Murzakanov.
While the aftermath of the October 25 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the heavyweight and women’s strawweight championship title pictures to the welterweight and women’s flyweight championship conversations.
At UFC 322, which takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, on November 15, Jack Della Maddalena will defend the UFC welterweight championship against Islam Makhachev.
This will be the first defense attempt for Jack Della Maddalena after capturing the UFC welterweight championship with a win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May. JDM is 18-2, having not tasted defeat since dropping his first two professional MMA bouts in 2016. Prior to the win over Muhammad, JDM had scored a split decision over Kevin Holland and a knockout of Gilbert Burns.
This will mark Makhachev’s first Octagon bout at 170. He moved up to the welterweight division after vacating the lightweight championship earlier this year. Makhachev, who is 27-1 in his career, defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to become 155-pound champion and retained the gold against Alexander Volkanovski (twice), Dustin Poirier, and Renato Moicano — setting a new UFC record for most consecutive lightweight title defenses.
Stakes will also be high in the co-main event, as Valentina Shevchenko defends the UFC women’s flyweight championship against Weili Zhang in a long-awaited superfight. Shevchenko defended the title at UFC 315, defeating Manon Fiorot in a competitive outing. It was the first defense of her second reign as flyweight champion, which began after winning a trilogy bout with Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC 2: UFC 306. Zhang moves up to flyweight after becoming a two-time UFC women’s strawweight champion. Zhang’s second reign saw her successfully defend against Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
Brady, Nickal, Edwards Set The Stage For Welterweight Title Headliner At UFC 322
Before Della Maddalena and Shevchenko make their way out to defend their titles, several names will look to make their own statements on the main card for UFC 322.
This includes Sean Brady, who will be doing battle with Michael Morales. Brady has won three straight since suffering the first loss of his career against Belal Muhammad. Brady most recently fought at UFC London, submitting former champion Leon Edwards. The rising Morales is 18-0 as a pro, including a 6-0 Octagon record. Morales enters off a pair of first-round finishes against Neil Magny and Gilbert Burns.
Bo Nickal will also be featured on this card, as he takes on Rodolfo Vieira. This marks Nickal’s first fight since getting stopped by Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines in May — the first loss of Nickal’s MMA career. The former NCAA champion had scored wins over Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, Cody Brundage, and Paul Craig prior to the loss. Vieira, a former ADCC and submission grappling world champion, has won three of his last four, entering this fight off a decision over Tresean Gore in August.
The main card is scheduled to open with former welterweight king Leon Edwards taking on Carlos Prates. Edwards lost the championship to Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 and then was submitted by Sean Brady at UFC London, marking the first time in his career he enters a fight off consecutive losses. Prates enters this fight off a highlight knockout of Geoff Neal at UFC 319 in August.
Those pairings have currently gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the likes of Beneil Dariush, Benoit Saint-Denis, Roman Kopylov, Gregory Rodrigues, Erin Blanchfield, and Angela Hill, all of whom are expected to be featured players on the event’s preliminary card.
See below for the UFC 322 lineup, as it stands.
Main Card:
Welterweight Championship: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev
Women’s Flyweight Championship: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Weili Zhang
Welterweight: Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales
Middleweight: Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira
Welterweight: Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates
Preliminary Card (Order TBA):
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Middleweight: Roman Kopylov vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Women’s Flyweight: Erin Blanchfield vs. Tracy Cortez
Bantamweight: Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Cody Haddon
Middleweight: Kyle Daukaus vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill vs. Fatima Kline
Middleweight: Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric McConico
The UFC will be returning to New York’s Madison Square Garden for UFC 322 on November 15, featuring a pair of what could be considered championship superfights to headline the night.
The main event will see Jack Della Maddalena make his first defense of the UFC welterweight championship, as he faces the challenge of former UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
JDM, an alumnus of Dana White’s Contender Series, has gone unbeaten in professional MMA since dropping his first two fights. His rise up the welterweight ranks ended in successful fashion with a win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May to claim the UFC’s 170-pound title.
Makhachev became UFC lightweight champion with a submission of Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. He defended the title four times, defeating Alexander Volkanovski twice, as well as defeating Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, before vacating the belt — now held by Ilia Topuria — earlier this year.
Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev, Valentina Shevchenko vs. Weili Zhang Official For UFC 322
Like the stories of Makhachev and Topuria, Weili Zhang will be vacating her strawweight championship and challenging Valentina Shevchenko for the women’s flyweight title in the UFC 323 co-main event — a battle of the top two-ranked pound-for-pound women’s fighters in the UFC today.
Shevchenko initially won the women’s flyweight championship at UFC 231, defending the belt seven times before her trilogy with Alexa Grasso that saw her lose and regain the title. Shevchenko defended the belt earlier this year at UFC 315, defeating Manon Fiorot.
Zhang, a two-time UFC women’s strawweight champion, began her second run with the gold by submitting Carla Esparza at UFC 281, which was also held at Madison Square Garden. She has since successfully defended the title against Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
UFC 322 will also feature former welterweight champion Leon Edwards in action against Carlos Prates. Edwards lost to Sean Brady earlier this year in his first fight since dropping the belt to Belal Muhammad. Prates, meanwhile, scored a highlight knockout of Geoff Neal just a couple of weeks ago at UFC 319.
Despite coming into the bout as the betting underdog for the first time as a champion, Zhang Weili was able to dominate Tatiana Suarez in a five-round decision to end the challenger’s undefeated streak and retain the UFC women’s strawweight title in the UFC 312 co-main event.
Suarez easily took control of the fight in the opening minute, scoring a takedown. The American did not land shots but remained on top without much trouble. Suarez even looked for a guillotine, but she was unable to complete the choke.
Zhang was more than ready entering round two, however. She prevented a takedown and managed to drop right into mount. With the two practically against the fence in one way or another for quite a bit of the round, the defending champion landed plenty of shots from top control.
“Magnum” scored a couple of noteworthy strikes in the third round, including a right hand that clearly rocked Suarez. The champ continued to stop the takedown attempts from the challenger, displaying complete control of the action.
Zhang Weili Retains Strawweight Title, Hands Tatiana Suarez First Loss
“Magnum” continued this pace over the course of the next two rounds, stopping any attempts from Suarez to get back into the fight and dominating more in top control.
The judges ultimately scored the bout in the champ’s favor, with two 49-46s and a 49-45.
Zhang has now won five straight, including successful defenses against Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan in her second reign as UFC strawweight champion. She now ties Joanna Jedrzejczyk with six successful defenses of the 115-pound title.
With her dominant victory tonight, some now wonder if “Magnum” will be booked for a superfight against flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko in the near future.
Meanwhile, this was Suarez’s first fight since her August 2023 win over Jessica Andrade.
UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso returns at UFC 306 where she hopes to put this chapter of her career behind her.
Over the past two years, the Mexican star has only had one opponent in mind, former champion Valentina Shevchenko.
After shockingly submitting her to win the title back at UFC 285, the two women met in a rematch at the first ever Noche UFC this time last year where the fight was controversially scored as a draw.
This Saturday, Grasso will look to end the trilogy by beating Shevchenko once again so that she can move on to new and exciting challenges that await her at flyweight.
Alexa Grasso Tees Up Future Plans For Upcoming Title Defenses, Dream Fight & Two-Weight Goals
Grasso knows that beating the “Bullet” for a second time will require her to be at her absolute best but that doesn’t mean she isn’t excited for what could be in store for her down the line.
In a recent interview with Stake.com, she spoke about how a champion vs champion clash with strawweight queen Weili Zhang is something that really piques her interest.
”Weili Zhang is my dream fight. It will be one of my biggest fights to date. She is strong, powerful and well rounded. She is a great fighter and I even heard she would love to test herself at 125, so I would love to welcome her.”
At the same time, Grasso knows that the flyweight division has several contenders who have emerged during the time that she has been locked into the Shevchenko trilogy.
The champion is happy to defend the belt against the next worthy challenger which, in her opinion, is Manon Fiorot at this time.
“I’m not the one who chooses these things, I think Manon Fiorot is more deserving of the title shot than Rose. She has been in the division longer and she has a bigger win streak. She was also next in line before she got injured, so I would like to fight Fiorot.”
Grasso also added that if she is able to keep hold of the flyweight title, she would like the opportunity to make history.
After becoming the first female Mexican UFC champion, she wants to hold two gold belts in the air, but is also conscious of doing what is best for her teammates.
“I would love to be a two weight World Champion, it is such a big question and goal for me. However, I have friends in the upper weight classes such as Loopy Godinez in the Strawweight division and Irene Aldana in the Bantamweight division and our team’s goal is to all be champions in each of our weight classes so I would have to pause that dream for now.”
Virna Jandiroba may have proven herself worthy of the next shot at UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili thanks to a submission win over former title challenger Amanda Lemos in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event.
Jandiroba looked to utilize her grappling from the get-go, scoring an early takedown and battling with her fellow Brazilian for top position and submission attempts. “Carcara,” a grappling expert, managed to lock in an armbar and submit Lemos during round two.
“The fight went in the best scenario I could imagine,” Jandiroba said through a translator at the post-fight press conference. “I was for sure going to try to take it to the ground, and I was able to do it and find the submission.”
Virna Jandiroba Confident She Can Get Title Shot, Beat Zhang Weili After UFC Fight Night Main Event Win
Jandiroba, a former Invicta strawweight champion, has now won four straight and five of her last six fights. Entering this weekend’s UFC Fight Night at No. 5 in the strawweight rankings, there is a good chance she could be next in line for a title shot.
Jandiroba, in fact, called out Zhang in the Octagon following her victory. And at the post-fight conference, Jandiroba expressed how her unique fighting style can help lead her to a win — let alone a title fight — that plenty previously doubted could happen.
“My style’s a little different,” Jandiroba said. “The way that I grapple is a little strange. I know my wrestling is very effective, my jiu-jitsu is very good, but it’s not like you can say, ‘Oh, she’s like a proper wrestler.’ But I make it work.
“And within the weirdness of everything that I do, I think that I create problems for most people, and that’s how I can beat her. With the weirdness, that’s how I get my arm raised.”
Prior to the epic encounter between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248 that saw Zhang emerge victorious via split decision, there was already some tension between the two athletes as evident in the below article.
The following article was published on this day two years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
On This Day Two Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 29, 2020, 4:59 PM]
Headline: Weili Zhang Takes Aim At Joanna Jedrzejczyk Over Coronavirus Joke
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk is under fire for making a joke aimed at Weili Zhang involving the deadly coronavirus.
According to CBS News, the death toll caused by the coronavirus has risen to 132. Over 5,900 cases have been confirmed in China. Zhang was born in Handan, China.
Jędrzejczyk Makes Controversial Joke, Zhang Responds
Jędrzejczyk, who is set to challenge Zhang for the UFC strawweight championship on March 7, shared an image poking fun at Zhang by using the current epidemic. The post has been deleted, but you can see the picture below.
Zhang Fires Back, Jędrzejczyk Tries To Clear The Air
Taking to Instagram, Zhang responded to Jędrzejczyk and made it clear that she feels the joke was out of line.
“To make fun of tragedy is a true sign of ones character. People are dying, someones father, someones mother, someones child. Say what you want about me if it makes you feel stronger but do not joke about what’s happening here. I wish you good health until March 7th. I will see you soon.”
Jędrzejczyk attempted to clear the air on sharing the post but she also threw in another dig at the 115-pound champion in a selfie video (h/t MMAJunkie.com).
“Hey champ. Hey Weili. I’m so sorry to make you feel bad, but I’d never make fun of sick people or a virus. I didn’t want you to get offended. I just made fun of the funny internet meme. So, so sorry, but still, I’ll see you March 7. Don’t get emotional, OK?”
