Overview
- UFC 322 is set for Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden, with Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev headlining and Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili as the co-main, streaming on ESPN+ pay-per-view in the U.S.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov said Makhachev finished 11 weeks of “very hard” training and has added size for 170 pounds, noting he has not weighed above 200.
- Predictions are split, with Israel Adesanya calling a JDM knockout in Round 2 or 3, while former champion Dricus du Plessis backs Makhachev, who is favored by bookmakers.
- UFC CEO Dana White said a Makhachev–Ilia Topuria superfight could happen, though any matchup depends on upcoming title obligations.
- Makhachev voiced ambitions to win and defend at welterweight—targeting more defenses than Kamaru Usman—while Usman publicly requested the winner for his next fight.