Islam Makhachev will get the opportunity to become a two-weight champion when he takes on Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
Former UFC lightweight titleholder Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is set to face newly crowned welterweight champion Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the main event when the UFC returns to the iconic Madison Square Garden on November 15.
Makhachev vacated the lightweight title earlier this year after announcing his intention to move up and challenge for the 170-pound belt. He was last seen in action at UFC 311 in January, when he submitted Renato Moicano after the Brazilian stepped in on short notice to replace the injured Arman Tsarukyan.
Makhachev is currently riding a 15-fight winning streak, and by the time UFC 322 arrives it will have been more than a decade since his last defeat—a first-round knockout loss to Adriano Martins at UFC 192 in October 2015. He became the UFC lightweight champion in 2022 when he submitted Charles Oliveira, and he went on to defend the belt against Alexander Volkanovski (twice), Dustin Poirier, and Moicano.
Della Maddalena is also in exceptional form, having won 18 consecutive fights. The defining moment of the Australian’s career came at UFC 315 in May, when he outpointed Belal Muhammad to claim the UFC welterweight title.
Also announced for UFC 322 is a women’s flyweight title fight between Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) and Weili Zhang (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC). Zhang vacated the 115-pound title—one she had held on two separate occasions—in order to move up and challenge for Shevchenko’s flyweight crown. Her decision opened the door for Mackenzie Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) and Virna Jandiroba (22-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) to fight for the vacant strawweight title at UFC 321, which takes place in Abu Dhabi on October 25.
A massive welterweight bout has also been added to UFC 322, as former 170-pound champion Leon Edwards (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) is set to take on surging Brazilian prospect Carlos Prates (22-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC). Edwards looks to bounce back after suffering a devastating loss to Sean Brady at UFC London in March, while Prates enters the fight riding the momentum of a spectacular knockout win over Geoff Neal at UFC 319 earlier this month.
