Dana White Announces Three Headline Fights for UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden
From a plane in Washington, D.C., UFC CEO Dana White revealed the three fights that will headline UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 15th. This event will feature the participation of five past and current champions.
Strawweight champion Zhang Weili will vacate her belt to move up to the women’s flyweight division and challenge current champion Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event. In addition, Islam Makhachev, number 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings, will seek the welterweight title against champion Jack Della Maddalena.
To complete the card, former welterweight champion Leon Edwards will face Carlos Prates, who has achieved 11 knockouts in his last 12 fights.
This series of confrontations promises a high-caliber event in one of the most emblematic scenarios of combat sports. However, the question arises as to whether this card lives up to the initial expectations of the fans.
Does this fight card exceed the expectation of a Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight?
The answer is clear: no. Although the fight card is impressive, a match between Jones and Aspinall would have been one of the greatest in UFC history. The absence of that fight is notable, as Jones, considered one of the best of all time, did not have as impactful a reign in heavyweight as expected.
Jones’ decision to retire is a point of debate. While it was a smart decision from a business perspective, the way it was prolonged generated some disappointment among the followers.
Despite this, the UFC has managed to put together a quality card for UFC 322, which will surely be a memorable event, even if it doesn’t reach the level of expectation that a fight between Jones and Aspinall would have generated.
Is it beneficial for mixed martial arts that champions must vacate their titles to move up a weight class?
In this case, the creation of interim titles is not necessarily a problem. Allowing champions to keep their belts while competing in a new category could be a solution. The main problem is economic, but with an interim title, the UFC can organize relevant fights and pay contenders as champions.
Also, if the champion loses in the higher category, they can return to their original division and face the interim champion in a unification fight. This allows fighters to maintain their status and offers exciting matches.
An example of this is Alexander Volkanovski, who moved up in weight as a featherweight champion and, after losing, returned to his original category for a unification fight. This approach could be the way forward.Alexander Volkanovski, in the background, lost his attempt to become a two-division champion in consecutive defeats to Islam Makhachev, who is now seeking to win a second belt.Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Are Zhang and Makhachev favored over Shevchenko and Della Maddalena?
Yes. In the co-main event, Shevchenko, at 37 years old, has shown a slight decrease in her dominance. Zhang, although similar in age (36 years old), seems to have less physical wear and tear. Shevchenko has achieved impressive victories, but Zhang could be a more complicated challenge.Zhang Weili, strawweight champion since November 2022, will vacate her belt to compete for the women’s flyweight title at UFC 322.In the main event, Makhachev is the clear favorite due to his experience and grappling skills. Although Della Maddalena is a formidable opponent, Makhachev has a significant advantage. However, this is a fight that could be defined by details.
