This weekend, the world's premier mixed martial arts organisation descends upon the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City for a blockbuster event, UFC 322. The fight card is headlined by a truly compelling champion versus champion clash that has captivated the combat sports world.
Main Event: A Champion's Gambit at Welterweight
In the main event, Australia's reigning welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena, puts his 170lb title on the line against the formidable Islam Makhachev. For Makhachev, this bout represents a daring move up in weight class in pursuit of a rare two-division champion status. The 34-year-old Russian phenom voluntarily relinquished his undisputed lightweight crown earlier this year, paving the way for this super-fight.
Della Maddalena, known as 'JDM', captured the welterweight strap in spectacular fashion this past May, delivering a masterclass performance against Belal Muhammad. Interestingly, Makhachev had previously stated he would not challenge his former training partner Muhammad. Muhammad's subsequent loss to Della Maddalena effectively removed that obstacle, opening the door for Makhachev's ambitious leap to welterweight.
Co-Main Event: A Super-Fight for Flyweight Gold
The evening's co-main event mirrors the headline bout's theme of champion ambition. Zhang Weili, having vacated her women's strawweight title to conclude her second reign, also moves up a division in search of more gold. She faces the daunting task of dethroning the dominant flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko. This champion-versus-champion showdown is a genuine super-fight that promises high stakes and explosive action.
UK Start Time and How to Watch
For fight fans in the United Kingdom, here is the essential viewing information. UFC 322 takes place on Saturday, 15 November. The action begins with the early preliminary fights at 11pm GMT. The regular prelims will follow at 1am GMT on Sunday morning. The highly anticipated main card is then scheduled to start at 3am GMT on Sunday.
To watch the event live, the main card will be available on TNT Sports Box Office at a cost of £19.99. A subscription to TNT Sports is not required to purchase this pay-per-view. The event can also be bought via Discovery+, EE TV, Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video, and Sky Sports. The preliminary bouts will be streamed live on Discovery+ and UFC Fight Pass.
Full UFC 322 Fight Card and Betting Odds
The complete fight card, which is subject to last-minute changes, is packed with talent. In the main card, alongside the two title fights, fans can look forward to a pivotal welterweight contest between Sean Brady and Michael Morales, a striking battle between Leon Edwards and Carlos Prates, and a lightweight clash between Beneil Dariush and Benoit Saint-Denis.
According to the latest odds, Makhachev enters as the favourite with odds of 4/11, while the champion Della Maddalena is priced at 21/10. In the co-main event, it is incredibly tight, with Shevchenko at 20/21 and Zhang at 5/6.
Main Card
- Jack Della Maddalena (C) vs Islam Makhachev (welterweight title)
- Valentina Shevchenko (C) vs Zhang Weili (women’s flyweight title)
- Sean Brady vs Michael Morales (welterweight)
- Leon Edwards vs Carlos Prates (welterweight)
- Beneil Dariush vs Benoit Saint-Denis (lightweight)
Prelims
- Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira (middleweight)
- Roman Kopylov vs Gregory Rodrigues (middleweight)
- Erin Blanchfield vs Tracy Cortez (women’s flyweight)
- Malcolm Wellmaker vs Cody Haddon (bantamweight)
Early Prelims
- Kyle Daukaus vs Gerald Meerschaert (middleweight)
- Angela Hill vs Fatima Kline (women’s strawweight)
- Baisangur Susurkaev vs Eric McConico (middleweight)
With two champions moving up in weight to challenge for a second title, UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden is poised to be a historic night for the sport, full of drama and potential legacy-defining moments.
