Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili top the card for UFC 322. UFC CEO Dana White announced the promotion’s loaded return to Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena will headline the Nov. 15 card with Shevchenko vs. Zhang as the co-main event. White announced the New York City card via Instagram. White also revealed a notable supporting bout: Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates.
Makhachev vacated the UFC lightweight title in May after setting a record four title defenses, breaking a tie he previously shared with mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov and three other lightweight champs. Makhachev relinquished the belt, which Ilia Topuria picked up by knocking out Charles Oliveira, to prepare for a welterweight title campaign.
By winning, Makhachev would become the 11th two-division champion in UFC history. The fight will be Della Maddalena’s first title defense since dethroning Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.
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Shevchenko will make the second title defense of her second women’s flyweight title reign. Zhang, the two-time women’s strawweight champion, is vacating her 115-pound title for this long-awaited showdown. Shevchenko is on a three-fight undefeated run while Zhang is on a five-fight winning streak. Shevchenko vs. Zhang is arguably the best women’s fight the promotion has made in years.
With Zhang moving up, UFC added a second title fight to UFC 321. Women’s strawweight contenders Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern will clash for the vacant title on Oct. 25, a card headlined by UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane. Dern previously beat Jandiroba via unanimous decision in 2020. Since then, Dern has gone 5-4 ,and Jandiroba has achieved a 6-1 record.
