Five Reasons to Watch UFC 322, Featuring Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev + Carlos Prates vs. Former Champion

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JDM and Makhachev have a tense face-off at UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Finally, the big day has arrived for UFC 322, one of the best and most anticipated events of the season. The show, which takes place this Saturday (15), in New York (USA), will feature two title fights and a parade of stars in the octagon. In the fight that headlines the event, Jack Della Maddalena , welterweight champion (up to 77,1 kg), puts his belt on the line for the first time against Islam Makhachev , former lightweight king (up to 70,3 kg). Also on the main card, Carlos Prates will face Leon Edwards , former leader of the same category.

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In total, UFC 322 consists of 14 fights. Besides Prates, Brazil will be represented by three more professionals at the event. Closing the preliminary card, Rodolfo Vieira , a jiu-jitsu legend, faces Bo Nickal , a star American wrestler, in the middleweight division (up to 83,9 kg). In the same portion, in the same category, Gregory Robocop faces the Russian Roman Kopylov . Opening the show, Matheus Camilo faces the Russian Viacheslav Borshchev in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg). To get you in the mood, the SUPER LUTAS team has selected five reasons to watch the event.

See too

Dana White ignores Carlos Prates and confirms the next challenger for the belt will be either Della Maddalena or Makhachev.

Makhachev is thrilled by the massive crowd support and has a tense face-off with champion JDM at the UFC 322 press conference.

Greeted with a standing ovation from fans, Carlos Prates shines at the UFC 322 press conference; the former champion looks away during the face-off.

1) Makhachev champion in 2 weight classes and equaling Anderson Silva's record?

Makhachev backstage at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Islam Makhachev , already a legend in MMA, could further elevate his status in the sport. At UFC 322, the Russian, who dominated the lightweight division and holds the record for most title defenses in that category within the company, will now have the chance to become champion in a new weight class. After much pleading for such an opportunity, Khabib Nurmagomedov 's friend will finally make his welterweight debut against the undefeated champion Jack Della Maddalena .

And, besides having a real possibility of joining the select group of fighters with the status of champion in two different UFC weight classes, Makhachev could also equal Anderson Silva in a statistic that reinforces his high level in MMA. Currently, the Russian has 15 consecutive wins, the same number as Kamaru Usman at his peak. Since the Brazilian has 16 consecutive victories, the athlete could reach that level. Therefore, if everything goes well for Islam, the triumph will have a special flavor and will be one of the most celebrated of his career.

A LEGACY DEFINING FIGHT

Jack Della Maddalena vs @MAKHACHEVMMA

[ #VeChain #UFC322 | TOMORROW | 10pmET on @ESPN PPV ] pic.twitter.com/1yywbYgq2h

— UFC (@ufc) November 14, 2025

2) Women's Super Fight

Valentina and Zhang promote a super fight at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

In the co-main event, we'll have quite a matchup. Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili are two of the best female fighters in MMA history and will face off in the octagon. The Kyrgyzstani fighter dominates the flyweight division (up to 57 kg), is in her second reign in the category, and is the all-time number one in the division. The Chinese fighter, who made her mark in the strawweight division (up to 52,2 kg), like Makhachev, decided to venture into the higher weight class in search of a second different title in the UFC.

Another point that makes the encounter grand and unmissable is the position of both fighters in the UFC's pound-for-pound ranking, which showcases the best fighters across all weight classes. In this select ranking, Valentina is number one, closely followed by Zhang, who holds the second position. It's worth highlighting that Dana White, the company's president, classified the fight as the greatest in the history of women's MMA, even ahead of iconic duels like Amanda Nunes 's with Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey , and Weili's own fight against Joanna Jędrzejczyk, the first.

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FOR THE FLYWEIGHT CROWN @BulletValentina vs Zhang Weili

[ #VeChain #UFC322 | TOMORROW | 10pmET on @ESPN PPV ] pic.twitter.com/v4uknSTQeI

— UFC (@ufc) November 14, 2025

3) Is Prates going to cut in line?

Edwards and Prates have a tense face-off at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

The welterweight division dominates UFC 322, and Carlos Prates is in a standout fight. In the biggest fight of his career, the Brazilian faces Leon Edwards , former champion of the division, and has the chance to change his status. Currently, the athlete is seen as a promising prospect, but if he wins, he will establish himself as a real threat to the top names in the weight class.

Today, Prates is ranked ninth in the welterweight division and faces a former champion and current fourth-ranked fighter. Therefore, if he wins, the Brazilian will enter the top 5 and get closer to a title shot. And, to jump the queue and immediately fight for the title, the athlete promised to put on another show in the octagon and knock out the Englishman. Since 'Rocky' has never been knocked out in his career, Carlos believes that if he breaks the streak, he will have done enough to surpass the other elite competitors in the race to fight for the title against the winner of JDM vs. Makhachev.

EDWARDS vs PRATES! #VeChain #UFC322 is LIVE TOMORROW on @espn PPV! pic.twitter.com/PtmDZ7QNjI

— danawhite (@danawhite) November 14, 2025

4) Wrestling vs. Jiu-Jitsu

Rodolfo backstage at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

The fight between Bo Nickal and Rodolfo Vieira is a clash of grappling specialists, but with completely different styles. The American made his mark in wrestling, while the Brazilian is a legend in Jiu-Jitsu. However, in the UFC, despite the athletes' grappling skills, both have been finding it difficult in the octagon and are still trying to establish themselves in MMA.

In his last UFC appearance, Nickal was knocked out by Reinier de Ridder in the second round, losing his undefeated MMA record and, to make matters worse, appearing fragile and bothered when receiving blows. Meanwhile, the Brazilian won his last fight, but has yet to convince or show consistency. Furthermore, Rodolfo admits to being afraid of fighting constantly, which causes strangeness and even concern among fans. Given their history, both fighters are already viewed with some distrust by many, so the loser at UFC 322 will be in trouble.

To close out the preliminary card of #VeChain #UFC322!

@BoNickal faces @RodolfoVieira89 in the Octagon. Check out their face-off!

[Presented by @Stake | Saturday (15) | 20pm | Watch live on @UFCFightPassBR | Subscribe now: https://t.co/OD62F561g5 ] pic.twitter.com/Lhh0PXrl11

— UFC Brazil (@UFCBrasil) November 14, 2025

5) Robocop eyeing the top 15

Robocop makes weight and confirms fight in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

Currently, the middleweight division is one of the most interesting categories in MMA, with several fighters vying for a spot in the UFC's top 15. Gregory Robocop is one of them. However, despite being a veteran in the company and a well-rounded athlete, the Brazilian has yet to establish himself among the division's elite. In fact, the year 2025 reflects Rodrigues' inconsistency.

In February, the Brazilian had the chance to take a shortcut to the top positions in the category, but was knocked out by Jared Cannonier . In June, the athlete recovered and impressed, knocking out Jack Hermansson in the first round. Therefore, Gregory is motivated to get past Roman Kopylov , another long-time former member of the top 15 middleweight division, to finally consolidate himself among the best professionals in the weight class.

To confirm the good phase! ✅

Russian Roman Kopylov faces Brazilian @Gregory_mma at #VeChain #UFC322 . This is how the fighters faced off!

[Presented by @Stake | Saturday (15) | 20pm | Watch live on @UFCFightPassBR | Subscribe now: https://t.co/OD62F561g5 ] pic.twitter.com/STAlinwnWU

— UFC Brazil (@UFCBrasil) November 14, 2025

How to watch UFC 322

Starting at 8 PM (Brasilia time), UFC 322 will be broadcast live and in its entirety on UFC Fight Pass , the Ultimate's official streaming platform. The main card is scheduled to begin at midnight. The UFC has NOT been broadcast on 'Combate' since the end of 2022.

SUPER LUTAS coverage starts earlier, at 19:30 PM, with a warm-up on YouTube. All fights will be followed in REAL TIME, minute by minute, with results and highlights. SUPER LUTAS will also cover all fights of the event on YouTube with narration, commentary, and videos.