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.
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UFC 322 CHEAT SHEET
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+).
How do I bet on UFC 322? Checkout the latest lines at FanDuel Sportsbook
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.
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.
What’s Not:
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
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 Blood:
The aforementioned Ewing is the only Octagon newcomer who has been booked to compete at this massive event.
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
For a moment, Bo Nickal thought he was going to get a spot on the stacked main card before he was yanked (and rightfully so), from the feature card and bounced to the “prelims,” albeit in the the feature bout. The wrestling phenom is looking to bounce back after suffering the first loss of his young 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 sure-to-be a very 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.
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).
Who Needs A Win Badly:
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.
Interest Level: 9/10
Valentina 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 Manon 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 for her as she goes up against the one and only Zhang Weili, who vacated her Strawweight title recently in order to move up to get another division strap. She is on a three-fight win streak, all title defenses, and she has shown 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 and 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 former champion, Belal Muhammad. 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 at 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.
Former UFC Welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, will make his long awaited return to action in an attempt to get back into the win column for the first time in a long time. 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 snapped his two-fight losing streak by 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 on 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.
Enjoy the fights!
Full UFC 322 Fight Card:
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):
- 125 lbs: Women’s Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili
- 170 lbs.: Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales
- 170 lbs.: Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates
- 155 lbs.: Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint Denis
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.*
LIVE! Stream UFC 322 On ESPN+
Don’t miss a single second of face-punching action!
