Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the pay-per-view (PPV) market later TONIGHT (Sat., Nov. 15, 2025), staging UFC 322 from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, streaming live on ESPN+.
Headlining the talent-rich pay-per-view (PPV) event will be a Welterweight title fight as division kingpin, Jack Della Maddalena, defends his 170-pound title for the first time against former Lightweight roost-ruler, Islam Makhachev. In UFC 322’s legendary co-headliner, reigning women’s Flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko, will defend her 125-pound crown against former Strawweight queenpin, Zhang Weili.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 13: Jack Della Maddalena of Australia is seen on stage during the UFC 322 Press Conference at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
What UFC event is on tonight? UFC 322: “Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev”
Who is fighting tonight at UFC 322? Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev Welterweight title fight is the five-round main event.
What time does UFC 322? TONIGHT (Sat., Nov. 15, 2025), beginning at 6 p.m. ET on ESPNews/ESPN+.
Where will UFC 322 take place? Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
How can I watch UFC 322? The ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
Where can I get UFC 322 updates and results? Get full UFC 322 play-by-play updates and live coverage here!
Della Maddalena has been nothing short of impressive during his time inside the Octagon. Sure, he is not the most exciting fighter, but he is far from boring, either. He dominated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 to claim the 170-pound strap, pushing his win streak to 18 straight, which includes going perfect (8-0) under UFC’s banner.
Now, “JDM” is in search of the biggest win of his career — even bigger than taking out Muhammad for the strap — in the form of Makhachev, a pound-for-pound great who is out to make history of his own in “The Big Apple.” Makhachev vacated his Lightweight title earlier this year to move up a weight class to chase history. In doing so, he left a big fight against Ilia Topuria on the table, the former Featherweight kingpin who moved up to 155 pounds (and won the strap).
That said, Makhachev hasn’t ruled out moving back down to face “El Matador” to prove that he is the best Lightweight in the sport. Before that, however, he intends to win the 170-pound strap against a man who, like himself, has been nothing short of dominant. While this fight is not the “sexy” one fight fans have been clamoring for, it’s still a great matchup.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: Islam Makhachev of Russia poses on the scale during the UFC 322 ceremonial weigh-in at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Despite Makhechev being the “smaller” fighter, he won’t give up too much size (or will he?) because Maddalena isn’t a big Welterweight. Makhachev obviously has the grappling advantage here (or does he?), but “JDM” is far from a slouch, schooling Muhammad — who has trained with Islam in the past — in that area. Where things will get real interesting is in the standup department. No one will ever confuse either of these two men as world-class strikers, but they can get the job done standing if need be.
For Makhachev, taking the fight to the ground and working his submission game will likely be the best route to victory. That said, Maddalena has only been submitted once in his career, which was more than one decade ago. Should Makhachev get the win in “The Big Apple,” he will without a doubt be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and possibly move back down to battle newly-crowned division champion, Ilia Topuria. For Maddalena, defeating Makhachev also moves him up the pound-for-pound list and gives him indefinite bragging rights.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 10: UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev pose at Edge at Hudson Yards on November 10, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
Honestly, there isn’t much to complain about this card. In fact, it’s almost perfect, a welcomed must-watch attraction after back-to-back events that were severely lacking in star power.
Original Card Vs. Actual Card/Injuries
DES MOINES, IOWA – MAY 03: (L-R) Serhiy Sidey of Ukraine punches Cameron Smotherman in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Wells Fargo Arena on May 03, 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
A Bantamweight fight between Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Serhiy Sidey was scheduled for this event before Sidey had to withdraw because of a shoulder injury. He was replaced by Cody Haddon — a fighter on a six-fight win streak — before he, too, had to withdraw (those details here). Believe it or not, UFC was still able to find another replacement on just two days notice, Ethyn Ewing, who like Wellmaker rarely visits the judges scorecards. Don’t blink!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: Ethyn Ewing poses on the scale during the UFC 322 ceremonial weigh-in at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) Getty Images
The aforementioned Ewing is the only Octagon newcomer who has been booked to compete at this massive event.
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: (L-R) Opponents Bo Nickal and Rodolfo Vieira of Brazil face off during the UFC 322 ceremonial weigh-in at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
For a moment, Bo Nickal thought he was going to get a spot on UFC 322’s stacked PPV main card before he was yanked (and rightfully so), from the feature card and bounced to the “Prelims,” albeit in the the “Featured” bout.
The wrestling phenom is looking to bounce back after suffering the first loss of his young mixed martial arts (MMA) career at the hands of Reinier de Ridder — who stopped him in the second round this past summer (video replay here) — when he battles Rodolfo Vieira, who is coming off a win over Tresean Gore. If Nickal doesn’t get a win here it will only open him up to further criticism from fans and haters alike.
It’s another big test for Nickal, who is out to prove that his hype — whatever is left — is warranted.
In what is expected to be a sure-fire, hard-hitting Middleweight affair, Gregory Rodrigues will battle Roman Kopylov in undercard action. Rodrigues is coming off a first round knockout win over Jack Hermansson (see it here), recovering nicely from his tough defeat at the hands of Jared Cannonier.
Both of these men love to stand-and-bang, so do not be surprised if we see another violent stoppage.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: (L-R) Opponents Erin Blanchfield and Tracy Cortez face off during the UFC 322 ceremonial weigh-in at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
After suffering the first loss of her UFC career at the hands of Rose Namajunas, halting her run toward a title shot, Tracy Cortez bounced back nicely with a win over Viviane Araujo. Currently ranked No 8, Cortez is looking to make her march toward the Top 5 when she battles Erin Blanchfield (No. 4) in a likely tight contest. Blanchfield is coming off a win over the aforementioned Namajunas, bouncing back nicely after a tough loss at the hands of Manon Fiorot. This is a great matchup between two talented ladies in search of a big win to move them further up the championship ladder. For what it’s worth, Cortez has a win over Blanchfield, defeating her via split decision under Invicta FC’s banner back in 2019 before they both made their way to the big show.
Long-time Octagon veteran, Angela Hill, returns for fight No. 26 inside the Octagon against Fatima Kline, who is just three fights deep into her UFC career. After losing her debut with the promotion to Jasmine Jasudavicius, she managed to get right, winning her next two bouts. As for “Overkill,” she was last seen coming up short against Iasmin Lucindo, her second loss in three fights.
In men’s Featherweight action, Chepe Mariscal will put his eight-fight win streak on the line against Pat Sabatini. Mariscal is undefeated so far under UFC’s banner, winning all five of his fights, though he has only been able to get one via stoppage. That said, he is still as dangerous as they come and Sabatini — who is on a two-fight win streak — will have to be on his “A” game if he wants to end his run.
Kicking off the card will be a Light Heavyweight fight between Eric McConico vs. Baisangur Susurkaev. McConico is coming off a tough split decision victory over Cody Brundage, his first win since losing to Nursulton Ruziboev via technical knockout earlier this year. As for Susurkaev, he is undefeated (10-0), which includes making a dazzling impression in his debut just three months ago, submitting Eric Nolan in round two at UFC 319 (see it again here).
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: (L-R) Opponents Kyle Daukaus and Gerald Meerschaert face off during the UFC 322 ceremonial weigh-in at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Gerald Meerschaert has seen better days.
Indeed, the long-time veteran is currently riding a three-fight losing streak and hasn’t had his hand raised since Aug. 2024. He is in danger of suffering his first-ever four-fight skid when he goes up against Kyle Daukaus, who is currently on a five-fight win streak, which includes his win over Michel Pereira in what was his return to the promotion after a two-year absence.
If Meerschaert loses his fourth in a row, he could find himself on the unemployment line fairly soon.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: (L-R) Opponents Valentina Shevchenko of Kyrgyzstan and Zhang Weili of China face off during the UFC 322 ceremonial weigh-in at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Shevchenko hasn’t been making the headlines like she had in the past. But, I think it has to do in large part because we have just grown so accustomed to seeing her win time and time again that we have become numb to it. Her dominant win over the aforementioned Fiorot this past May barely made a splash, but it did give her another title defense under her belt. That said, her next challenge is going to be one of the toughest to date, locking horns with the one and only Weili, who vacated her Strawweight title recently to move up to get another division strap (more on that here). She is riding a three-fight win streak, all title defenses, showing to be one of the toughest female fighters ever. This is the fight we have been waiting for and it is finally here. This is toss up for me because both combatants are skilled everywhere, but we are all expecting a standup war that will go down in history. Let’s just see if it lives up to the hype.
One of my personal favorite fights of the night is the Welterweight scrap between Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales. Brady has quietly worked his way up to the No. 2 spot on the heels of a three-fight win streak, going 8-1 overall inside the Octagon with his lone loss coming at the hands of Muhammad, a former division champion. He is likely one more win away from stamping his own ticket to a title fight, but he has to get through a surging contender who is out to make a splash of his own.
Indeed, Morales is undefeated (18-0, 6-0 UFC), which is good enough to earn him the No. 8 spot. But, he is aiming higher, and a spot in the Top 5 is all but certain if he can take out Brady. This fight could very well steal the show, and the victor will get a boost in his career goals.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: (L-R) Opponents Leon Edwards of Jamaica and Carlos Prates of Brazil face off during the UFC 322 ceremonial weigh-in at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Former UFC Welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, will make his long-awaited return to action in an attempt to return to the win column for the first time in a long time. Indeed, he hasn’t had his hand raised since Dec. 2023 and is currently on a two-fight losing streak. He will look to avoid a third straight defeat at the hands of surging 170-pound contender, Carlos Prates, who has amassed an impressive 5-1 record in his young UFC career.
But, during his short stint he has done more than enough to impress fans and competition alike, and is legit threat to the title if he can crack the Top 5. Defeating “Rocky” will definitely be a huge step in his quest to get to the elite of the elite, and he has more than enough tools to get the job done. Edwards needs a win in the worst way here to prevent himself from falling further down the ladder.
Beneil Dariush recently snapped his two-fight losing streak, defeating Renato Mociano at UFC 317 and is now eyeing his first two-fight win streak since 2022. He will attempt to do that by taking out the tough-as-nails Benoit Saint Denis, who is currently riding a two-fight win streak, which includes his impressive submission win over Mauricio Ruffy a few months back (see it again here). The winner of this fight moves closer to a Top 5 spot in a division that is very crowded with legit title contenders, though Dariush is going to have to go above and beyond after failing to make weight.
UFC 322 Main Event On ESPN+ PPV:
- 170 lbs.: Welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev
UFC 322 Main Card On ESPN+ PPV (10 p.m. ET):
UFC 322 ‘Prelims’ Card On ESPNews/ESPN+ (8 p.m. ET):
- 185 lbs.: Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira
- 185 lbs.: Roman Kopylov vs. Gregory Rodrigues
- 125 lbs.: Erin Blanchfield vs. Tracy Cortez 2
- 145 lbs.: Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Ethyn Ewing (not Serhiy Sidey, not Cody Haddon)
UFC 322 Early ‘Prelims’ Card On ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET):
- 185 lbs.: Kyle Daukaus vs. Gerald Meerschaert
- 115 lbs.: Fatima Kline vs. Angela Hill
- 145 lbs.: Chepe Mariscal vs. Pat Sabatini
- 205 lbs.: Eric McConico vs. Baisangur Susurkaev
- 155 lbs.: Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Matheus Camilo
*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*
WELTERWEIGHT SUPER FIGHT! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., on Sat., Nov. 15, 2025, with a stacked ESPN+-streamed UFC 322 fight card. In UFC 322’s main event, dominant Russian Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, aims for historic “double-champ” status by challenging Australian knockout specialist and reigning Welterweight kingpin, Jack Della Maddalena, in an explosive title bout that could redefine the 170-pound division. In UFC 322’s co-headliner, women’s Flyweight queenpin, Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko, defends her throne against Strawweight powerhouse, Zhang Weili, who’s also moving up for a shot at two-division glory in a “Champion vs. Champion” showdown packed with elite striking and grappling. All that and SO MUCH MORE!!!
