One of the most eagerly anticipated fights of the 2025 UFC year takes place on Saturday night from Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena.
In the Main Event of Saturday night’s festivities, Islam Makhachev will challenge defending champion Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title.
Mackhachev, age 34, is the top-ranked lightweight but is changing divisions for his bout with Della Maddalena.
Additionally, Makhachev has gained UFC fame by being ranked #2 on the UFC pound-for-pound charts.
Della Maddalena, age 29, is riding an 18-bout winning streak after losing the first two fights of his career. He is the new champion of the UFC welterweight division.
UFC 322 Fight Preview
On Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 10 p.m. ET, Madison Square Garden will host UFC 322 – Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev with television coverage on ESPN+.
UFC 322 Predictions
Islam Makhachev is one of the most popular fighters in the UFC with fans and gamblers.
Because of his status, Makhachev is often overpriced in UFC betting odds.
Wise Guys love nothing more than a defending champion underdog.
Jack Della Maddalena is seen as a prime betting value opportunity as the underdog defending his title belt.
Valentina Shevchenko is a proven champion in the women’s flyweight title bout.
Shevchenko is getting an attractive UFC betting price for a defending champion.
PRIME UFC 322 Best Bets: Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko
UFC 322 Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Welterweight Championship Bout
C-Jack Della Maddalena +215 vs. Islam Makhachev -290
Last time out, Makhachev defended his UFC lightweight title in a 1st-round submission against Renato Moicano on January 18, 2025, in Inglewood, CA.
Makhachev originally won the championship on October 22, 2022, in a 2nd-round submission win over Charles Oliveira. He has successfully defended his title belt four times.
Makhachev defeated two challenges by Alexander Volkanovski. Additionally, he won a title defense bout against Dustin Poirier.
Islam Makhachev is one of the UFC's elite fighters.
He is the #1-ranked lightweight combatant and is #2 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Makhachev is the former UFC lightweight champion.
Islam Makhachev has a career mark of 27-1.
Jack Della Maddalena lost the first two fights of his career. Since then, he has never lost a fight.
In his most recent bout, Della Maddalena won the most important fight of his career on May 10, 2025.
On that night, Della Maddalena won a unanimous decision against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in Montreal.
Now comes his first defense of that title belt against Makhachev.
Jack Della Maddalena has a career record of 18-2.
Women’s Flyweight Title Bout
C-Valentina Shevchenko -120 vs. Zhang Weili -106
Previously, on September 14, 2024, Shevchenko won a unanimous decision against Alexa Grasso in Las Vegas to win the UFC women’s flyweight title.
The bout was a rematch from a draw between the two combatants on September 16, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Valentina Shevchenko is a 2-time current women’s flyweight champion.
Additionally, she is the top-ranked women’s pound-for-pound combatant.
Shevchenko is coming off a unanimous decision win over Manon Fiorot on May 10, 2025, in Montreal.
With the win, she retained her UFC women’s flyweight title.
Overall, Valentina Shevchenko has a career record of 25-4-1.
She is coming off a successful defense of her UFC strawweight title by unanimous decision against Tatiana Suarez. That bout took place on February 9, 2025, in Sydney.
Zhang Weili is the former 2-time UFC women’s strawweight champion. She made history by being the first Chinese fighter to win a UFC title belt.
Weili is riding a 5-bout winning streak.
Zhang Weili stands at 26-3 for her career.
Welterweight Bout
#4 Leon Edwards +162 vs. #9 Carlos Prates -240
Leon Edwards has a career record of 22-5 and 1 NC.
Carlos Prates is 22-7 for his MMA career.
Lightweight Bout
#9 Beneil Dariush +164 vs. # 13 Benoit Saint Denis -215
Beneil Dariush has a career MMA record of 23-6-1.
Benoit Saint Denis brings a record of 15-3 to the octagon.
Welterweight Bout
#2 Sean Brady -132 vs. Michael Morales +104
Sean Brady has a career record of 18-1.
Michael Morales has a career record of 18-0.
