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 revealed the three fights that will culminate at UFC 322 on November 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Five current and former champions will participate in these matches. 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 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 have the opportunity to break a streak of two consecutive losses against Carlos Prates, who has knocked out 11 of his last 12 opponents. Despite the quality of these fights, is there reason for disappointment in not having the main event that was initially promised to the fans?Is this three-fight card superior to the one that would have been with Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall at MSG?
No, not even close. While this alignment is impressive, a fight between Jones and Aspinall would have been one of the greatest in UFC history. Neither of these fights comes remotely close to that level. Jones, considered the best of all time, had a disappointing reign in heavyweight. A showdown against an English challenger as dangerous as Aspinall to crown an undisputed champion in Jones’ home state would have been a major event. Jones’ decision to retire is disappointing. Although it was a smart decision from a business perspective, the delay in confirmation generated discontent. The UFC deserves recognition for putting together a quality card for UFC 322, but the global excitement doesn’t compare to what a fight between Jones and Aspinall would have generated.Is it positive for MMA that champions must vacate their UFC belts to move up a weight class?
In these situations, interim titles do not bother me. If Makhachev were to hold the undisputed lightweight title while seeking to move up a weight class, I would consider it appropriate. The reason for leaving the title vacant is to keep the movement in the division, but the real problem is money. With an interim title, the UFC can schedule fights and pay challengers like champions. If a division stagnates, fighters do not receive championship pay, but an interim title solves that. Another reason to allow 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. The UFC should allow the champion to move up a weight class, and only if the champion secures a second belt should he be forced to decide which division to continue in. In 2023, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski moved up a weight class, and the UFC scheduled an interim championship in his absence. Volkanovski was unsuccessful at lightweight and returned to featherweight for a unification fight. This is how it should work.
Should 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 the weaknesses of both contenders. Against Zhang, Shevchenko will have more difficulty finding a specific weakness to dominate.
When comparing the fighters’ resumes in the main event, it’s impossible not to consider Makhachev the favorite. Makhachev, who has traditionally fought at 155 pounds, is expected to be no significantly smaller than Della Maddalena on fight night, and Makhachev’s world-class grappling helps offset any size disadvantage he may have. That said, I wouldn’t feel comfortable betting against Della Maddalena. Makhachev almost has to be the favorite for several reasons, but in practice, this is a 50-50 fight for me.
Contents
Dana White announces three headline fights for UFC 322 at Madison Square GardenIs this three-fight card superior to the one that would have been with Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall at MSG?Is it positive for MMA that champions must vacate their UFC belts to move up a weight class?Should Zhang and Makhachev be favored over champions Shevchenko and Della Maddalena?
