While Dana White made the MMA world wait for several hours, he delivered some huge announcements for the UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view slate, including the promotion’s return to Madison Square Garden.
The UFC CEO announced on Thursday night during an Instagram live that the main event of UFC 322 will see Jack Della Maddalena put the welterweight title on the line against former lightweight champ Islam Makhachev on the Nov. 15 fight card in New York City, while the highly anticipated superfight for the women’s
flyweight title is set for the co-main event with Valentina Shevchenko defending against Zhang Weili, who vacated her strawweight belt in lieu of this massive opportunity.
UFC 322 also includes a pivotal welterweight matchup between former champ Leon Edwards and surging contender Carlos Prates.
While the business for UFC 322 picked up, UFC 321 added some pieces as well. With Zhang vacating her 115-pound title, Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern will battle in a rematch for the vacant title in the co-main event of the UFC’s annual Abu Dhabi pay-per-view card. White also announced Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista for the card.
Following White’s massive news, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and E. Casey Leydon react to the fight announcements, and take viewer questions.
Watch the full reaction to the news in the video above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
