New York, November 15, 2025 — British welterweight Leon Edwards will step back into action at UFC 322, squaring off against Brazil’s Carlos Prates on a star-studded card that includes two world championship bouts.
Edwards Seeking to Reignite Career
The 34-year-old Edwards, a former titleholder at 170 lbs, is looking to halt a rough patch after dropping back-to-back fights. His last appearance in March ended in a decisive defeat to Sean Brady. Ranked fourth in the welterweight division, Edwards hopes a victory in New York will put him back in contention.
Prates, ranked ninth, enters the bout in strong form. The 32-year-old Brazilian made headlines earlier this month with a knockout of Geoff Neal at UFC 319, cementing his reputation as one of the division’s rising threats.
Headline Bout: Maddalena vs Makhachev
The night’s main event features Jack Della Maddalena of Australia putting his welterweight championship on the line against Islam Makhachev. The 33-year-old Russian gave up his lightweight crown in June to pursue history as a two-division champion. Maddalena, 28, captured the belt from Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 and now defends it for the first time.
Co-Feature: Shevchenko vs Weili
The co-main attraction sees flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko clash with former strawweight champion Zhang Weili. Ranked number one and two in the women’s pound-for-pound standings, the matchup is billed as one of the most significant women’s fights ever staged.
Weili, 36, relinquishes her 115-pound title to move up a division, having already secured two reigns at strawweight with 10 wins in 12 UFC contests. Shevchenko, 37, has reigned supreme at flyweight, holding the divisional record with eight successful defenses across two separate championship runs.
Strawweight Title Picture
Weili’s move leaves the strawweight belt vacant, with Brazil’s Virna Jandiroba set to face Mackenzie Dern at UFC 321 on October 25. That event is headlined by Britain’s Tom Aspinall, who defends his heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane.
UFC 322 Poised for Drama
With Edwards and Prates battling in a pivotal welterweight matchup alongside two title showdowns, UFC 322 promises to shake up multiple divisions and could prove to be one of the standout events of the year.
