Two Stellar Super Fights to Headline Annual UFC Event in New York
A couple of UFC super fights will be the main course of the company’s annual pay-per-view event in New York.
Former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will seek to conquer a second title against current welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 on November 15 at Madison Square Garden, UFC CEO Dana White announced on Thursday.
In the co-main event, former strawweight champion Zhang Weili will move up to flyweight to challenge Valentina Shevchenko.
Makhachev (27-1) vacated the UFC 155-pound title earlier this year, anticipating his move up to welterweight. Zhang (26-3) also vacated her 115-pound championship to compete at 125 pounds.
Makhachev defended his lightweight title four times before announcing his transition to welterweight. He will attempt to achieve something that his retired and undefeated mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, never accomplished during his outstanding career: becoming a two-division champion.
Della Maddalena (18-2), from Perth, Australia, hasn’t suffered a defeat since starting his professional career with two consecutive losses in 2016. He conquered the UFC title by defeating Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision in May.
Zhang is coming off a successful title defense against Tatiana Suarez in February. Shevchenko, 37, is the most dominant flyweight fighter in UFC history. She is a two-time champion, with eight title defenses across two reigns.
White also announced a welterweight main card clash between former champion Leon Edwards (22-5) and promising Brazilian contender Carlos Prates (22-7).
