UFC 322 is roughly two and a half months away as of this writing. While the calendar may read Aug. 29, the attention is already shifting to Saturday, Nov. 15 inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Late Thursday evening, UFC CEO Dana White took to Instagram to announce a cracking championship fight to take place the third Saturday of November in The Big Apple. That fall evening, the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship will be at stake in the co-main event.
Late Thursday evening, UFC CEO Current UFC Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will vacate her 115-lb strap to move up to the 125-lb division to take on incumbent UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC,) The UFC Strawweight Championship will be the focus of the co-main event of UFC 321 a few weeks prior in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
250209 — SYDNEY, Feb. 9, 2025 — Zhang Weili of China attends the press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz after defeating Tatiana Suarez of the United States in the women s strawweight championship at the UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, Feb. 9, 2025. Photo by /Xinhua SPAUSTRALIA-SYDNEY-UFC 312-PRESS CONFERENCE HuxJingchen PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
UFC 322 serves as the penultimate pay-per-view to stream on ESPN+ inside the United States. Effective in January, all flagship events, along with the entire 43-event UFC schedule will be accessible via Paramount Plus without any extra charge.
Zhang Weili Relinquishes Captain’s Chair at Strawweight With UFC 322 Booking
Going into UFC 322 in November, Zhang Weili, the now-former UFC Strawweight Champion, has posted a record of 5-0 in her last five fights dating back to the spring of 2022. This past February, Zhang trekked to Sydney, Australia for UFC 312, where she successfully defended the strawweight strap for what proved to be the last time with a unanimous decision victory over Tatiana Suarez (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC.)
After the fight, Zhang Weili met with the assembled press backstage to discuss the victory over Suarez.
“I really appreciate Tatiana taking this fight and let both of us show how good female fighters can be,” Zhang said through an off-camera translator. “I know many people say that I’ve never fought such a good grappler before and Tatiana is undefeated, but I don’t really care what others said. I just focus on myself.”
While the issue of who will assume Zhang’s seat at the table in the strawweight division will be settled by the time the UFC 322 co-main event begins, with either Virna Jandiroba or Mackenzie Dern becoming the new titleholder just before Halloween in Abu Dhabi, she can also dethrone a pretty tough fighter when she moves up to flyweight.
Shevchenko Brings Championship Pedigree, Family Honor to UFC 322 Co-Main Nov. 15
In the other corner, current women’s flyweight titlist Valentina Shevchenko will be going into UFC 322 in New York City this fall with a record of 3-1-1 in her last five fights. At the present time, she’s on a three-bout unbeaten streak.
On May 10 in Montreal, Quebec, she scored a unanimous decision victory after five rounds of action over Manon Fiorot (12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in the UFC 315 main event. That fight was Fiorot’s first trip to the fabled Octagon in more than a year’s time.
The sister of the now-retired Antonina Shevchenko, Valentina Shevchenko initially claimed the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship on Dec. 8, 2018 in UFC 231 from Toronto on pay-per-view by way of unanimous decision over Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC.)
From there, she defended the strap seven times before Alexa Grasso (16-5-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC) submitted her with a rear-naked choke in the first fight of an eventual trilogy in March of 2023. A rematch during the initial Noche UFC the following September ended in a split draw. Due to the champion’s advantage, Grasso retained the strap.
Last September, the trilogy ended definitively after Shevchenko scored a unanimous decision.
Final Thoughts on Zhang Weili vs. Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322
UFC flagship events are always special nights of action inside the Octagon, but when the promotion touches down in New York City every autumn, it’s even more incredible. Much like the annual Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, CA when the calendar flips over to Jan. 1, UFC events at Madison Square Garden are the granddaddy in their own right.
It’s been that way ever since New York State legalized MMA in 2016. The MSG shows are the UFC’s version of the Rose Bowl. UFC 322 will be no exception.
This fight is a late contender for the best scrap of the year in 2025. Two fighters with impeccable resumes will throw down in November.
One final question: Who do you think walks away as the champion? Let us know in the comments.