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UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena is set for the biggest test of his career as he defends his title against former lightweight king Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 322 on November 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
UFC President Dana White confirmed the blockbuster matchup on Thursday, officially placing two of the promotion’s most dangerous strikers and grapplers on a collision course.
For Makhachev, the bout represents a chance to make history by becoming a two-division champion. For Della Maddalena, it’s an opportunity to solidify his reign and avenge his fellow Australian, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who fell short twice against the Dagestani star.
Adding to the historic card, the co-main event will see women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defend her belt against Zhang Weili, who vacated her strawweight crown to chase two-division glory.
Shevchenko, 37, reasserted her dominance with a decisive win over Manon Fiorot at UFC 315, the first defense of her second flyweight reign.
Known as “Bullet,” she remains one of the most technically sound fighters in the sport, and fans have long awaited this superfight with Zhang.
Zhang, 36, has been equally impressive, tearing through the strawweight division since reclaiming the title in late 2022. Aside from her two battles with Rose Namajunas, she has largely dominated her opponents, collecting 10 wins and five Performance Bonuses along the way. Her most recent outing saw her outclass previously undefeated Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312.
Should she dethrone Shevchenko, Zhang would join Amanda Nunes as only the second woman in UFC history to claim titles in two weight divisions.
The stacked UFC 322 card also features a high-stakes welterweight showdown between former champion Leon “Rocky” Edwards and surging striker Carlos Prates.
Prates, fresh off a highlight-reel knockout of Jeff Neal, called out Edwards post-fight — and now gets his wish on one of the year’s most star-studded cards.
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