A test of skill and dominance is unfolding in the world of men’s and women’s mixed martial arts, as current UFC welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena, defends his title against former lightweight titleholder, Islam Makhachev, headlining UFC 322 at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York.
Della Maddalena aims to secure his inaugural title defense, while Makhachev, stepping up in weight class for this chance, participates in his sixth straight championship bout. In the ESPN men’s pound-for-pound rankings, Della Maddalena and Makhachev hold the Nos. 8 and 2 spots, in that order.
Meanwhile, the co-main event features former strawweight champion, Zhang Weili, transitioning to the women’s flyweight division to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the championship. Zhang, who holds the No. 1 spot in the women’s pound-for-pound rankings, faced a challenging fight against No. 2 Shevchenko, enduring five consecutive rounds that led to her first UFC defeat since 2021.
Insight and analysis of the events at MSG are provided by Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale, Jeff Wagenheim, and Dre Waters.
