UFC 321 concluded in Abu Dhabi, leaving fans buzzing about the next pay-per-view event. UFC 322 will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 15. After an intense week of fights at the Etihad Arena, all eyes now turn to the next championship battles.
The Abu Dhabi card featured a no contest between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, a headline win for Mackenzie Dern, and victories for Umar Nurmagomedov, Alexander Volkov, and Azamat Murzakanov. The event set the stage for conversations about title fights in the heavyweight, welterweight, women’s strawweight, and women’s flyweight divisions.
Welterweight Championship Headlines UFC 322
Jack Della Maddalena will defend his UFC welterweight championship against Islam Makhachev in the main event. This marks Maddalena’s first title defense since defeating Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May. Maddalena holds an 18-2 record and has not lost since his first two professional fights in 2016. Before winning the championship, he earned a split decision over Kevin Holland and a knockout of Gilbert Burns.
Makhachev steps into the welterweight division for the first time after vacating the lightweight title earlier this year. The 27-1 fighter became lightweight champion by defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. He retained the title against Alexander Volkanovski twice, Dustin Poirier, and Renato Moicano, setting a new UFC record for most consecutive lightweight defenses.
Women’s Flyweight Championship Steals the Spotlight
Valentina Shevchenko defends her women’s flyweight championship against Weili Zhang in a highly anticipated superfight. Shevchenko successfully defended her title at UFC 315 by defeating Manon Fiorot. Her current reign began after winning a trilogy bout with Alexa Grasso at UFC 306. Zhang moves up to flyweight after becoming a two-time UFC women’s strawweight champion. She defended her strawweight title against Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
Rising Contenders Set the Stage
Sean Brady will face Michael Morales in a welterweight clash before the title fights. Brady is riding a three-fight winning streak following his first career loss to Belal Muhammad. He submitted former champion Leon Edwards at UFC London. Morales remains undefeated at 18-0, including a perfect 6-0 record in the Octagon. He enters off two first-round finishes over Neil Magny and Gilbert Burns.
Bo Nickal also features on the main card against Rodolfo Vieira. Nickal looks to rebound after his first professional loss to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines in May. Before that defeat, he had victories over Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, Cody Brundage, and Paul Craig. Vieira, a former ADCC and submission grappling world champion, won three of his last four bouts, including a decision over Tresean Gore in August.
The main card opens with Leon Edwards taking on 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 on consecutive losses. Prates enters following 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
The confirmed card emphasizes championship fights and rising contenders, promising an exciting night at Madison Square Garden. Fans can expect intense battles across multiple weight classes, setting the stage for the next wave of UFC storylines.
