On November 15, 2025, at the renowned Madison Square Garden in New York City, the mixed-martial-arts world witnessed an extraordinary spectacle: two major title fights headlining one card under the banner of UFC 322. The event was built around one of the most ambitious nights in recent UFC history: the reigning welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena, defending his belt against former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev — who had moved up a weight class. At the same time, in the co-main event, women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko faced Zhang Weili, a former strawweight champion moving up to challenge for a second title.
With both challengers seeking to become two-division champions, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
In this blog, I will walk you through the background, the key storylines, the results and analysis of the fights, and what it all means moving forward.
The Build-Up: Storylines You Should Know
Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev
Jack Della Maddalena came into this fight as the current champion at welterweight (170 lbs). His first defence would not be a simple one. Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev had been long-established as a top lightweight (155 lbs) champion. He vacated his lightweight title and moved up to welterweight for this match — an uncommon move given how much heavier the division is.
Makhachev’s aim: to add a second division title and join the exclusive club of multi-division champions. On the other hand, Della Maddalena, younger and perhaps less experienced at the very top than his opponent, was the underdog — but he had momentum and a growing skill-set, particularly in striking and improved grappling defence.
One of the narrative keys: Many analysts pointed out that Della Maddalena must keep the fight standing — if it went to the ground, Makhachev’s wrestling and BJJ superiority could dominate. Also worth noting: Makhachev’s move up in weight meant he had to adapt — more mass, new dynamics. Some felt the weight change might affect his usual pace or grappling dominance.
Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili
In the co-main event, another big story: Zhang Weili, after being a dominant strawweight champion (115 lbs), vacated her belt and moved up to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at flyweight (125 lbs).
Shevchenko is widely regarded as one of the best female fighters ever. Zhang Weili has also carved her place among the elite. So this fight was framed as “legacy fight meets ambition” — two greats, each seeking to cement or elevate their place in history.
The Results – What Happened on the Night
While I won’t go into every fight on the card, here are the key take-aways:
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The card was stacked: besides the two title bouts, several high-level fights filled the main card.
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According to live result trackers, the event delivered: the fights were meaningful, the stakes real.
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Unfortunately, full detailed round-by-round breakdowns are behind paywalls or detailed articles, but from what’s available:
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Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev: The matchup lived up to its hype; Makhachev’s move up was under scrutiny, Della Maddalena’s challenge real.
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Shevchenko vs. Zhang: Likewise, the co-main event carried heavy historical implications.
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The official judges’ scorecards and final outcomes (at least for the main event) were published.
Analysis: Key Moments & What Made a Difference
Striking vs. Grappling in the Main Event
One of the central themes in the Della Maddalena-Makhachev fight was striking advantage versus grappling/ground control. Makhachev built his career on dominant wrestling, high-level submission work, and an ability to force opponents into his gameplan. Della Maddalena’s camp knew that and prepared accordingly.
As noted by UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (who knows both fighters well): Della Maddalena’s keys to victory were “keep it on the feet, avoid being dragged into grappling exchanges, use his size and striking.”
Because when Makhachev gets you down, and controls you, you expend energy scrambling, defending, and your offense diminishes. On the feet, Della Maddalena could exploit things: size, reach, fresh legs, and being in his natural division.
Also: moving up in weight isn’t just about adding pounds. Reaction time, conditioning, pacing, and handling stronger opponents all change. Makhachev’s heavier body might give power, but it can also hinder speed or endurance — if exploited properly.
What About the Co-Main Event?
For Shevchenko vs. Zhang, the story is somewhat different. Here both fighters are elite in their own right, but Zhang is the challenger moving up a division. Sometimes that means new challenges: facing a champion who has been dominant in that weight for years; adjusting to new weight class speed and power; dealing with the psychological pressure of being the “chaser.”
Shevchenko, as established champion and veteran, has the advantage of experience. Zhang brought hunger, adaptability, a striking-heavy game and bold ambition. The general expectation: if Zhang could avoid being out-grappled, make the fight striking-centric, she had a real shot.
Legacy & History at Stake
Because the winners could become two-division champions, the historical stakes were greater than just “win the fight”. For example: if Makhachev won, he'd join an exclusive list of fighters who held championship gold in two weight divisions.
Similarly for Zhang: only a very few women in UFC history have achieved two-division championship status; a win for her would be monumental.
That “history vibe” adds an intangible layer — fighting under pressure, with expectations from the world, among the best of the best.
What This Means Going Forward
For Della Maddalena
If he succeeded, he would have showed he can handle the double-title contender role early in his championship tenure. It would cement his status, give him options: super-fights, big money, global recognition. If he lost — but fought well — he still emerges with enhanced status, with a “who beat me and how” moment.
For Makhachev
Winning would mean ascending into a higher weight class and deepening his legacy. A loss would not necessarily be devastating, but it would slow the momentum of his “undefeated climb” narrative, and raise questions about where his best weight class is.
For Shevchenko & Zhang Weili
For Shevchenko: a win means consolidating her legacy, maybe even facing younger challengers with the belt. For Zhang: a win means historical fame; a loss means reassessing the move up and possibly returning to her old division. Either way, the co-main outcome will shape women’s MMA for years.
For UFC & the Sport
Card like UFC 322 shows that the promotion is willing to stack high-stakes fights and push narrative heavy events. It fuels interest in MMA globally, draws attention, and helps elevate fighters into stars beyond the octagon.
The fact it’s in NYC at Madison Square Garden also adds grandeur — the venue has historical weight in combat sports.
My Takeaway & Final Thoughts
UFC 322 is one of those nights you’ll look back on in MMA history. With two title fights that carry real legacy implications, the element of weight-class jumps, and elite-versus-elite match-ups, it had many of the ingredients to deliver something special.
If you ask me: Della Maddalena is dangerous because of his striking and because he wants to prove himself. Makhachev is dangerous because he’s already proven, with a dominant track record — but the move up is a wild card. On the women’s side, Zhang has hunger; Shevchenko has a resume.
In any athlete’s career, there are “what defines me” fights. For many of these four fighters, this night could serve as or becomes that moment. And for fans, it’s a real treat.
Finally: regardless of the individual results, the event signals how MMA continues to evolve—fighters aren’t just defending, they’re shifting weight classes, chasing history, and fans benefit from compelling storylines.
Conclusion
In simple words: UFC 322 was more than just another fight card. It was about ambition meeting reality; about champions being challenged; about legacy being written (or rewritten). From the welterweight clash of Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev to the women’s flyweight matchup of Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili, the PPV delivered high stakes, big narratives and top-tier action.
If you’re a fan of MMA, this is the kind of event you keep bookmarked — not just for the winners and losers, but for the “what now” questions it raises: What’s next for each fighter? Which division will shake up? Who will take the momentum into 2026 and beyond?