UFC 322 Was One of the Best MMA Cards of the Year

New York hosts the UFC’s annual stops in November City Always been special. UFC 322 on Saturday was not an exception. This was one of the most exciting MMA events of the year. It could have been the best MMA card of the year. The UFC 322’s main event took place at welterweight. Jack Della Maddalena, the new champion, defended his title against Islam Makhachev. Makhachev made his UFC debut after a long reign at lightweight. He wanted to usurp Ilia TOPURIA’s position atop UFC’s pound for pound list. He did it, and he looked effortless. Makhachev took down the welterweight champion in the opening rounds. It was over. The welterweight champ was repeatedly taken down by Makhachev during the fight. When the action was at the feet, he could do what he liked because the threat of a takedown gave him the freedom to do anything. He chose to kick Della Maddalena in the legs, making his takedowns easier. Della Maddalena survived until the final bell but he was utterly defeated by then. The result was inevitable. Makhachev won the fight by unanimous decision and is now two-division UFC champ. It wasn’t as quick as Topuria’s June victory over Charles Oliveira but was equally as one-sided. This was Makhachev’s 16th win in a line, tying Anderson Silva’s record of the longest streak of wins in UFC History. Makhachev told Joe Rogan, in his post-fight interviews: “This dream is mine.” “All my life I have worked for these belts. I am really happy. The belts are heavy. It’s cool. It was a long time coming. Makhachev’s welterweight championship win is a great moment. Two of these new and exciting contenders jumped ahead of the pack at UFC 322; the division is flooded with them. Carlos Prates, a cigarette-smoking knockout-artist, scored a brutal, second-round knockout over Leon Edwards. Edwards was a former champ who had recorded two title defences in his prime. In the next bout, Ecuadorian finisher Michael Morales stunned the rankings by knocking out the No. 1 contender Sean Brady. Both Brady and Prates may be in line to face Makhachev first. Makhachev has a lot of work ahead. Flyweight champion Valentina Shchenko, however, blew past one of her final remaining opponents in the UFC 322 main event. Shevchenko was expected to face one of the toughest challenges of her career in New York, despite having beaten all of the worthy contenders during two reigns as flyweight champion. CityShe faced off against former strawweight champion Zhang Weili. Zhang Weili, on the other hand, did not become a champion in two divisions, nor did she do anything much. Shevchenko easily controlled her on the mat and ripped up Zhang on the floor. The flyweight queen won by unanimous decision. Shevchenko, after her impressive win, said: “I prepared for this fight as if it was the most difficult challenge of my life.” This is what I refer to as the martial arts. “They can’t do anything when they are in front of me.” Shevchenko isn’t facing many flyweight opponents, but she still has a few to fight. Erin Blanchfield and Natalia Silva are two of the contenders for her title. They both appeared on the UFC 322 Undercard. She was returning to fight against Tracy Cortez. With a second-round submit win, she improved her record to 8-1. UFC 322 will be remembered for its lopsided championship bouts and standout contenders. The card was not limited to just those two moments. The rest of the card was filled with many memorable moments. Benoit St-Denis’s impressive win over veteran Beneil Darieush was the most memorable. He knocked him out with a left-hook in 16 seconds. This was Saint-Denis’ third consecutive win after dominating performances against Kyle Prepolec, Mauricio Rouffy and others. It gave him a huge push up the lightweight ladder. Bo Nickal, a middleweight prospect, also made a big statement in New York. City. Nickal began 2025 as one the most hyped fighters of MMA. But after a devastating loss to Reinier De Ridder, he entered Saturday’s fight with Rodolfo vieira in a situation where he had to win. He did it in style by slamming his opponent with a head kick during the third round. This was the biggest win of his MMA-career to date. All in all, UFC 322 was a card with a little bit of everything—and one that cemented two legendary fighters amongst the greats of the sport. The card is certainly one of the best in the history of the sport, and it continues the tradition of MMA at Madison Square Garden.
2025-11-16 06:38:53