Overview
- UFC 322 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden, with the main card on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPNEWS, Disney+, and the ESPN App; the co-main features Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili for the flyweight title.
- Betting markets list Makhachev as the favorite over the reigning champion, with recent lines around -275 for the challenger and +225 for Della Maddalena.
- Israel Adesanya predicted a Della Maddalena knockout, while fighter picks and analyst opinions are split even as Jon Anik continues to rate Makhachev atop the pound-for-pound list.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov praised Della Maddalena as a very tough opponent and noted Makhachev added size during an 11-week camp to prepare for welterweight.
- Makhachev has downplayed retirement talk and says his aim is to secure a second belt, defend it, and target Kamaru Usman as he builds a legacy at 170 pounds.