UFC 322: Disappointment despite the stellar card at Madison Square Garden?

Dana White Announces Three Headline Fights for UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden

From a plane in Washington, D.C., where the UFC plans to hold an event next summer, CEO Dana White announced the three fights that will culminate UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 15. Five current and former champions will be in action in these three fights. The strawweight champion, Zhang Weili, will vacate her belt to move up to women’s flyweight and challenge the reigning champion, Valentina Shevchenko, in the co-main event. In addition, Islam Makhachev, ranked as the number 2 pound-for-pound in the world, will seek the welterweight title against champion Jack Della Maddalena. To complement these two high-caliber fights, White also revealed that former welterweight champion Leon Edwards will have the opportunity to break a two-fight losing streak against Carlos Prates. The event promises to be a spectacle worthy of Madison Square Garden, one of the most iconic stages in combat sports. But, is there any disappointment for not having the stellar fight that fans initially expected?

Is this three-fight card better than if we had Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall at MSG?

No, not even close. While this alignment is incredible, Jones vs. Aspinall would have legitimately been one of the greatest fights in UFC history. As good as these fights are, none come remotely close to that level. Jones is the best of all time, but his “reign” in heavyweight was a bit disappointing. Imagine if he had fought against an English challenger as dangerous as Aspinall to crown an undisputed champion in Jones’ home state, New York? That kind of fight would have attracted celebrities in private jets from all over the country. It would have been a spectacle.

This is another reason why Jones’ decision to retire is extremely disappointing. A smart decision? Yes, probably. Why would Jones risk fighting Aspinall when his legacy and fortune were already secured? He made a business decision, something uncommon in MMA, and should be admired in a way. But the way he prolonged it for so long generated a lot of discontent.

The UFC deserves credit for putting together a quality card for UFC 322 that is generating excitement in the sport. Without a doubt, this will be a massive event, but if we answer honestly, the level of global excitement doesn’t come close to what Jones vs. Aspinall would have been.

Is it good for MMA that champions have to vacate their UFC belts to move up a weight class?

Alexander Volkanovski, in the background, lost his attempt to become a two-division champion in consecutive defeats to Islam Makhachev, who now moves up to try to win a second belt. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images. I am in the minority on this issue, but in these situations, interim titles do not bother me. In other words, if Makhachev were to hold the undisputed lightweight title while attempting this weight class challenge, it would seem completely appropriate to me. The argument for leaving the title vacant is to maintain a division in motion, but the real problem is money. With the creation of an interim belt, the UFC could still schedule necessary fights and pay challengers championship money. If a division stagnates, all its fighters are prevented from receiving championship money, but an interim title rectifies that. Another reason why I would be in favor of allowing a champion like Makhachev (or Zhang) to keep the belt is that, if he loses, he can return to his division and fight the interim champion in a unification fight. Think about it: if Makhachev loses and returns to 155 pounds, will it seem right that he be Ilia Topuria’s challenger? The UFC should allow a champion to move up in weight, and only then, if the champion successfully secures a second belt, should he be forced to decide which division to continue in. In 2023, Alexander Volkanovski moved up as featherweight champion and the UFC scheduled an interim featherweight championship in his absence. Volkanovski fell short at lightweight and returned to featherweight for a unification fight. This is how it should happen.

Should title challengers Zhang and Makhachev be favored over champions Shevchenko and Della Maddalena?

Yes. Starting with the co-main event, Shevchenko is one of the best fighters in the history of women’s MMA, but she is 37 years old and has been less dominant, even in victory, in recent years. Zhang is almost the same age, 36 years old, but seems to have less physical wear and tear than Shevchenko, who has competed in martial arts for more than half her life. In her last two fights, Shevchenko has returned to her championship pedigree with impressive performances against Alexa Grasso and Manon Fiorot. But she identified and exploited weaknesses in both contenders’ games. Against Zhang, Shevchenko will have more difficulty finding a specific weakness to dominate.

Zhang Weili, the strawweight champion since November 2022, will vacate her belt to compete for the women’s flyweight title at UFC 322. Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC When comparing the fighters’ resumes in the main event, it’s impossible not to name Makhachev as the favorite. I think the feeling is that Makhachev, who has traditionally fought at 155 pounds, will not be significantly smaller than Della Maddalena for fight night, and Makhachev’s world-class grappling helps offset any size disadvantage he may have. That said, I wouldn’t feel comfortable betting any kind of odds against Della Maddalena. Makhachev almost has to be the favorite for a variety of reasons, but in practice, this is a 50-50 fight for me.