UFC 321 ended in Abu Dhabi, and the mixed martial arts world now shifts focus to UFC 322 in New York City. The event will take place at Madison Square Garden on November 15, promising high-stakes matchups across multiple divisions.
Last week’s Abu Dhabi card featured a no contest between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, a headline victory for Mackenzie Dern, and wins for Umar Nurmagomedov, Alexander Volkov, and Azamat Murzakanov. Fans are already looking ahead to the next pay-per-view, where championship conversations in the welterweight, women’s flyweight, and other divisions will dominate.
Welterweight Championship Takes Center Stage
Jack Della Maddalena will defend his UFC welterweight championship against Islam Makhachev in the main event. Maddalena earned the belt with a win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May. He holds an 18-2 record and has not lost since his first two professional fights in 2016. Before capturing the title, he beat Kevin Holland by split decision and knocked out Gilbert Burns.
Makhachev moves up to welterweight for the first time after vacating the lightweight championship earlier this year. He became lightweight champion by defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 and defended the belt against Alexander Volkanovski twice, Dustin Poirier, and Renato Moicano. His four consecutive title defenses set a new UFC record.
Women’s Flyweight Championship Promises a Showdown
Valentina Shevchenko defends her women’s flyweight championship against Weili Zhang in a highly anticipated superfight. Shevchenko retained her title at UFC 315 with a victory over Manon Fiorot. Her second flyweight reign began after winning a trilogy bout against Alexa Grasso at UFC 306. Zhang moves up in weight after a successful run as a two-time UFC women’s strawweight champion. She defended that belt against Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
Rising Contenders Set the Stage for Big Wins
Sean Brady faces Michael Morales in a welterweight matchup before the title fights. Brady has won three straight since his first career loss to Belal Muhammad, most recently submitting former champion Leon Edwards at UFC London. Morales remains undefeated at 18-0, including a perfect 6-0 Octagon record. He enters after back-to-back first-round finishes over Neil Magny and Gilbert Burns.
Bo Nickal also features on the card against Rodolfo Vieira. Nickal looks to rebound after losing to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines. Before that defeat, he beat Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, Cody Brundage, and Paul Craig. Vieira, a former ADCC and submission grappling world champion, has won three of his last four bouts, most recently defeating Tresean Gore in August.
The main card opens with Leon Edwards against Carlos Prates. Edwards lost the welterweight championship to Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 and then fell to Sean Brady at UFC London, entering this fight off consecutive losses. Prates arrives fresh from a highlight knockout of Geoff Neal at UFC 319 in August.
UFC 322 Main Card Lineup
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
UFC 322 promises high drama and decisive battles across every division. Fans at Madison Square Garden can expect thrilling action and championship stakes that will shape the sport’s next era.
