UFC 322 goes down this weekend (Sat., Nov. 15, 2025) inside the Mecca; Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The pay-per-view (PPV) main event is Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev for Della Maddalena’s recently earned UFC Welterweight title.
Makhachev is looking to become one of few fighters to ever claim two different UFC titles. One expert thinks that would put him in the GOAT conversation.
The co-main event is a women’s super fight with Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili. Like Makhachev, Zhang is also coming up in weight hoping to become a two division champ. Shevchenko will no doubt enjoy having a “huge expert” call her fight this Saturday.
Rounding out UFC 322’s stacked PPV on Saturday is Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales, Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates and Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint Denis.
UFC 322’s late “Prelims” are headlined by Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira. The undercard also has Roman Kopylov vs. Gregory Rodrigues, Erin Blanchfield vs. Tracy Cortez and Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Cody Haddon.
The early “Prelims” are headlined by Kyle Daukaus vs. Gerald Meerschaert. There’s also Angela Hill vs. Fatima Kline, Pat Sabatini vs. Chepe Mariscal, Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric McConico and Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Matheus Camilo.
As always, there’s lots to bet on this card and we’ve got odds for all the fights below:
UFC 322 Main Card Money Line Odds
Jack Della Maddalena defends his belt for the first time at UFC 322. Paul Kane/Zuffa LLC
Jack Della Maddalena (+230) vs. Islam Makhachev (-285)
Della Maddalena became UFC champion in May after a masterful display opposite Belal Muhammad. He won an obvious decision over the then champ with surprisingly good takedown defense and much expected boxing prowess. He earned that shot with a finish over Gilbert Burns (see it here). He’s undefeated in UFC after fighting eight times for the promotion. He has wins over Kevin Holland, Randy Brown and Ramazan Emeev. He overall record is 18-2. He lost his first two pro MMA fights, both by stoppages, back in 2016 (as a teenager).
Makhachev needs little introduction. He comes up to 170 lbs. after one of the more impressive Lightweight title reigns in promotion history. After taking the belt with a submission over Charles Oliveira he defended the title twice against Alexander Volkanovski, as well as Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano (who came in on short notice to replace Arman Tsarukyan). He’s 27-1 as a pro with that lone loss being the shock KO defeat to Adriano Martins in 2015.
This is an incredible fight.
Dela Maddalena is an underdog here, but his odds aren’t super long. That’s thanks to how his wrestling looked up against Muhammad last time out. If he can replicate that success on Saturday and spend five rounds on the feet with Makhachev there’s a very good chance he defends his title at the first time of asking.
Muhammad is not Makhachev, though. Muhammad became a champ after switching camps to train with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Makhachev. Makhachev, himself, is far beyond Muhammad as a pressure wrestler, submission hunter and—when he has to be—brawler.
The biggest question on Makhachev is how will he look at Welterweight after a career solely as Lightweight. Based on pictures we’ve all seen online, ‘Creatine Makhachev’ looks pretty bulked up and ready to fight at 170 lbs. In the back of my mind I’m thinking about when Jon Jones bulked up and then put in a terrible display against Ovince Saint Preux. Makhachev is likely too smart (and has too much support around him) to make any kind of mistake Jones has over the past decade, though.
I’m expecting Makhachev to look great at Welterweight. But I’m also expecting Della Maddalena to fight a very competitive fight and not spend the entire time on the ground defending ground and pound and chokes.
I think we could see Della Maddalena bring the brawler out of Makhachev, like we saw in moments in the Poirier fight. Makhachev got cracked a few times in that fight, including to the body, but he also showcased some very nuanced boxing. I’m really hoping, as a spectator, we get to see a lot of that on Saturday.
For Della Maddalena the key to winning this fight is making the most out of the moments when he’s standing opposite Makhachev. He’s got three inches of reach to work with that and some of the best combination striking in the sport right now.
Della Maddalena lands 6.84 significant strikes a minute with 52% accuracy. That’s a ton of volume. More impressively, though, he has 64% defense against sig. strikes. This means he isn’t taking one to land one, like lots of guys with high volume stats. He’s landing punches in bunches and not getting countered. And he’s countering when opponents come forward to cut off their attempts to land big shots and combos.
Makhachev only lands 2.63 sig. strikes a minute, though he is very accurate (58%). He only absorbs 1.55 sig. strikes a minute and has 61% defense. This is because, for most his fights, he’s ragdolling his opponents around. It’s hard for them to get off shots when he’s all over them. The recent opponents who were able to get off their shots were Poirier and Volkanovski (in the first fight). They landed around 70 sig. strikes each on him.
If we’re just striking I really think Della Maddalena takes it.
You can get Della Maddalena +5.5 for +110. I really like that. Of course, there’s a good chance Makhachev gets Della Maddalena down and submits him, but to get that point spread on someone as talented as Della Maddalena and have plus money feels too good to turn down.
If you think Makhachev trounces the Aussie you can get him -5.5 for -150.
The round total for this one is 3.5. I think that’s kind of low, to be honest. I see this one going well into the championship rounds and likely to a decision. The over is -135 and the under is +105.
The over is where I’m ultimately going for my best bet. I just see this as a close fight and one where Della Maddalena is going to find success staying up. And I also see Makhachev having success hanging with Della Maddalena on the feet. I think that all builds to fantastic fight worthy of the occasion.
Best bet: Over 3.5 rounds (-135)
It’s ‘Bullet’ vs. ‘Magnum’ at UFC 322. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Valentina Shevchenko (-122) vs. Zhang Weili (+102)
Shevchenko successfully cleared out her division with a unanimous decision over Manon Fiorot in May. That was her first title defense since she wrested back the belt from Alexa Grasso at Sphere with a very dominant decision. That was a trilogy fight after the pair drew in 2023 and Shevchenko had a shocking loss (off an ill-advised spin attack) in 2023 (see it here).
Shevchenko’s UFC record now stands at 14-3-1 with her only other losses being close decision losses to Amanda Nunes, at Bantamweight.
Zhang also cleaned out her division. She proved no one at Strawweight could touch her after she brutalized Tatiana Suarez over five rounds. Before that she took decisions over Yan Xiaonan, Amanda Lemos and Carla Esparza. She only really broke a sweat in the Lemos fight. She’s 10-2 in UFC with her two losses coming against Rose Namajunas, by split decision and head kick KO (see it here).
Shevchenko’s slow, steady and soul crushing offense will be going up against Zhang’s furious aggression in this fight. Shevchenko wins if she’s able to hit Zhang with counters and reactive takedowns or ware her out along the fence. Zhang wins she’s able to replicate her success at Strawweight and hit Shevchenko, hard and fast, while at least holding her own in the grappling exchanges.
The size difference is a big factor in this fight. Both women are about the same height, but Shevchenko has three inches of reach and is just a bigger all around person. She was never undersized at Bantamweight. Shevchenko has a similar size profile to Suarez and we all saw how that went.
However, in the Suarez fight, Suarez’s grappling was nullified by how beat up she was getting on the feet. Shevchenko has a much better chance of keeping her head and vision clear against Zhang and that could mean she’s able to actually impose her takedown game.
Shevchenko’s striking defense could also be huge in this fight. She has a very good 63% defense against sig. strike. And she’ll need that. Zhang has a slightly above average 53% accuracy on sig. strikes (and also a good defense herself with 54%). Zhang also lands a lot of volume, 5.15 sig. strikes a minute. That’s much more than Shevchenko’s 3.14.
I think we’re in for a very close fight and both women’s defenses are really going to be tested. I think defense probably determines this fight (striking defense for Shevchenko and takedown defense for Zhang). At Strawweight Zhang had a fantastic takedown defense (74%). We just don’t know if that will translate against a bigger and stronger opponent and one who, potentially, can avoid getting hurt on the feet.
For Shevchenko, this is her first opponent, perhaps since Nunes, who won’t be sitting back on her and who won’t be afraid to come forwards throwing bombs. Zhang might also be the most confident opponent Shevchenko has faced since Nunes.
In Shevchenko’s two decision losses to Nunes and her draw with Grasso, she lost the sig. strike battle (not by a tone, though). If Zhang wins that striking battle on Saturday, I think she wins.
The point spread on this fight of Zhang +5.5 is very tempting. I don’t think there’s much chance of a Shevchenko finish and with two elite fighters like this it seems possible that the rounds will be shared among them and that we might even see a split decision. The odds on that spread are -230
The round total is 4.5, as expected. The over is -270 and the under is +200. The over is a little tempting. The only reason it isn’t shorter is due to Zhang’s reputation as a heavy hitter. Even so, I think Shevchenko is too durable and too good defensively to get stopped on Saturday.
When you parlay either Zhang or Shevchenko to win with an over bet you get a lot of nice odds. Shevchenko to win and over 3.5 rounds is +100. Zhang to win and over 3.5 rounds is +150. You can get plus odds on Zhang plus over 1.5 and over 2.5, too.
I keep trying to pick Zhang, but I hesitate to pull the trigger. I think because I know that there’s a very strong chance we end up watching a ‘Shevchenko fight’ and not a ‘Zhang fight’ this weekend.
After going back and forth a lot with this, I’ll bet on Shevchenko and one of the overs thanks to her size, wrestling and striking defense. Although, I’d much see Zhang win in exciting fashion.
Best bet: Valentina Shevchenko to Win and Over 3.5 rounds (+100)
Sean Brady might earn a title shot at UFC 322. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Sean Brady (-142) vs. Michael Morales (+120)
Brady probably has this title shot if it wasn’t for the musical chairs game that saw Islam Makhachev vacate his Lightweight crown and come up to Welterweight. Brady smothered Leon Edwards in March on route to a submission win (see it here). Before that he dominated Gilbert Burns and almost wrenched Kelvin Gastelum’s arm out of his socket (see it here). Brady is now 8-1 in UFC with his only loss being a TKO to Belal Muhammad in 2022.
Morales remained undefeated after he whooped Burns back in May, finishing him in the first round (see it here). Before that he beat down Neil Magny and managed decisions over Jake Matthews and Max Griffin.
Morales has looked wildly impressive lately and he’s managed to put a few big-ish names on his resume. However, this version of Gilbert Burns isn’t a terribly impressive trophy. I think he’s still a little unproven and I think Brady, is a massive step up in competition for him.
I don’t have the same concerns over Brady and I think the Edwards win was very impressive, despite how awful Edwards looked against Muhammad.
How this fight goes will ultimately depend on how well Morales can stop the takedown.
On paper, he has elite takedown defense at 89%. That puts him fifth in the division. A big reason for that number is that he stuffed all eight of Griffin’s takedown attempts and seven out of eight attempts from Adam Fugitt. No other fighter has attempted more than four takedowns on Morales. Griffin has a career 40% accuracy on his takedowns. Fugitt has a career 25% accuracy. He’s 0-5 for takedowns in his last two fights.
Brady has a 54% takedown accuracy and he lands an average of 3.62 per 15 mins (a very high number). He’s fourth in the division for accuracy. He went 5-7 on takedowns against Edwards (63% takedown defense) and 7-17 on Burns (53% career takedown defense) and 5-5 against Gastelum (60% career takedown defense).
Something Morales has going for him is his size. He’s taller and longer than Brady and might be able to out-muscle him in the clinch and prevent being dragged down. I don’t think he will be able to stop all the takedowns, though. And in a three round fight, Brady might need just one a round to get the win (especially with how much top control time he racks up per takedown).
Morales’ best takedown defense might be striking. His very long 79 inch reach gives him a seven inch reach advantage on Brady and will need to make that count if he wants to keep Brady on the outside and away from his hips. The longest reach Brady has ever seen in UFC is 75 inches, possessed by both Michael Chiesa and Court McGee.
Morales’ mediocre accuracy on sig. strikes (49%) gives me reason to not be too concerned for Brady, though.
Ultimately, I think this is going to be a “Sean Brady kinda fight”. If it plays out that way, then it’s terrible for Morales who will lose all his great speed and movement due to being stacked up against the fence and having to carry his opponent for rounds at a time.
The round total is 2.5 for this fight. I think it’s going over, to a decision. But that’s because I think Brady is going to win. I might as well just take his moneyline.
Best bet: Sean Brady moneyline (-142)
Carlos Prates could make a big statement at UFC 322. Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images
Leon Edwards (+164) vs. Carlos Prates (-198)
Edwards returned to action in March and was dominated and submitted by Sean Brady. That fight happened nine months after he was dominated by Belal Muhammad in a fight that cost him his UFC Welterweight title. He had defended the title twice, against ex champ Kamaru Usman and ex interim champ Colby Covington.
Prates scored a devastating spinning back elbow finish on Geoff Neal in August (see it here). That came after he was out-worked and out-smarted by Ian Machado Garry. Before the Garry loss Prates was on a tear, scoring finishes over Neil Magny (see it here), Li Jingliang and Charles Radtke.
Edwards has looked sleepy and out of sorts in his last two fights, both of which were maulings. He can blame the weird scheduling for the Muhammad fight, but not for the Brady fight.
Prates is probably going to give Edwards the fight he thinks he wants. There will be no getting exhausted and folded up at the foot of the fence in this fight. This is going to be a pure kickboxing match.
Prates has never lost a pure striking battle in UFC, though. His loss was in a very technical striking battle against an opponent who mixed in takedowns and clinch control. That fight drained Prates and also gave Edwards a blueprint to beat him, though he would be loathe to admit that (due to the bad blood with Machado Garry).
Edwards has been capable of fighting like that. It’s a little up in the air about whether or not those days are long gone, though. The last two fights might just be due to terrible match-ups. Against a fellow striker we might just see Edwards having enough space and energy to land his shots and then pressure Prates against the fence and score a takedown or two.
Prates, whose smoker lungs won’t let him go deep, probably wants this over as fast as he can. I think he’s going to push the pace immediately and look for a first round finish. I honestly don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing for him. If he can’t get the finish early, then he’s likely cooked.
The round total is 2.5 with the over at -154 and the under at +120. That doesn’t help me much, since I’m really on the fence about whether Prates wins in a hurry or Edwards wins in a long slog.
Fortunately for me, I was able to find a prop that plays directly into my thinking. I can get Leon Edwards to win by decision or Carlos Prates to win by KO/TKO/DQ for -185. That’s perfect!
Best bet: Leon Edwards to win by Decision or Carlos Prates to win by KO/TKO/DQ (-185)
Beneil Dariush could get back in the 155 lbs conversation after UFC 322. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Beneil Dariush (+164) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (-198)
Dariush returned after over a year long lay-off to convincingly beat Renato Moicano in June. Prior to that he had back-to-back stoppage losses at the hands of Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira. Those big names are the first to defeat Dariush since 2018. He’d won eight fights over that span.
Saint Denis artfully squashed Mauricio Ruffy in Paris in September, finishing him with a second round face crank (see it here). Before that he took out short notice opponent Kyle Prepolec. These wins have seen him rebound from brutal stoppage losses to Moicano and Dustin Poirier.
I can see why Saint Denis is the favorite here. I was very impressed by his performance against Ruffy. Although, that performance might have looked so good only because of Ruffy’s complete lack of ground game.
Dariush was impressive against Moicano, despite coming off a long lay-off. He beat up Moicano on the feet and used his striking to set up his takedowns (he landed all five he attempted).
Dariush and Saint Denis are very similar fighters. Though, I think Saint Denis has more firepower standing (especially with his kicks). And I think Saint Denis’ wrestling/grappling is on a par, if not slightly better than, Dariush’s. Saint Denis is also six years younger than Dariush.
The round total is set at 1.5 for this fight and feels very low. Yes, both these men have a ton of finishes, but they are also very tough. They might also spend a lot of time on the ground without either being able to get through the other’s takedown defense.
The over is -160 and the under is +124. I’ll take the over, since it’s better odds than a straight up Saint Denis win.
Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (-160)
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UFC 322 ‘Prelims’ Under Card Odds
Bo Nickal is looking to rebound at UFC 322. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Bo Nickal (-218) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (+180)
The myth of Bo Nickal the super prospect was crushed by a Reinier de Ridder knee in May (see it here). Before that Nickal beat Paul Craig in what might have been the worst fight of 2024. The RDR loss now has Nickal at 7-1 in his pro career.
Vieira is coming off a decision win over Tresean Gore. Before that he was out-wrestled and exhausted by Andre Petroski. Prior to those fights he got back-to-back arm triangle finishes over Armen Petrosyan and Cody Brundage (he got Derek Brunson with one of those in a pro grappling match after that, too).
If Vieira is expecting to take this fight to the ground and work a submission, I feel like Nickal is going to give Vieira the same problems that Petroski did. In that fight Vieira gassed out trying to land takedowns, thanks to the superior wrestler constantly stuffing his attempts.
Vieira’s striking has improved since he switched from BJJ to MMA. He beat Gore after out landing him 89 to 41 is sig. strikes and landing just 1 of 14 takedowns. Vieira went to the body with 24% of his offense that night.
He’d be a fool to not try and tag Nickal on the liver after what happened in the de Ridder fight, no? If Vieira goes into this one wanting to box and then use his submissions to counter Nickal’s wrestling, then I think this is a much more interesting fight and that Vieira has a great shot at winning that.
With me seeing strong points for either guy (and without me knowing how Vieira is going to fight), I’m looking at the round total for this one.
The total is set at 2.5. The over is -154 and the under is +120. I think this fight likely goes over. If Nickal is able to show improvement and get the fight he wants, he probably rides Vieira for a decision. And if Vieira fights a smart game plan he might be able to piece Nickal up on the feet and use that to win a decision.
Best bet: Over 2.5 rounds (-154)
Roman Kopylov gets another Brazilian at UFC 322. Luke Hales/Getty Images
Roman Kopylov (+140) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (-166)
Kopylov lost a close fight to Paulo Costa in July. That broke his mini win streak that featured a controversial head kick KO over Chris Curtis (see it here) and a split decision over Cesar Almeida. Before that he was one of many guys to get a beat down from Anthony Hernandez.
Rodrigues landed a scary KO on Jack Hermansson in his last fight (see it here). Before that he dragged into deep waters by Jared Cannonier and left wanting, succumbing to a fourth round TKO (see it here).
This could be a real banger of a fight.
I’m leaning pretty heavily towards RoboCop, as the winner, though.
Kopylov’s gameplan against Almeida, a feared striker coming out of GLORY, was to stick and move and then steal rounds with a takedown. He’s got a scary striker here, in the form of Rodrigues, but if he thinks he can mix his striking with some wrestling for a good result then I think he’s mistaken.
Rodrigues throws bombs on the feet and that makes you forget just how good a wrestler and grappler he is. He gets 2.21 takedowns ever 15 mins and has a 90% takedown defense.
I just think there are far too many avenues Rodrigues can go down to win this fight, compared to Kopylov.
Kopylov is a skilled striker, but he has a negative sig. strike differential (4.74 landed a minute vs. 5.08 absorbed). Against Costa he lost the striking battle 99-48. In his win over Curtis he lost 130-142 (before that last second KO) and in his win with Almeida he lost it 41-58.
If he lets Rodrigues (who lands 5.54 sig. strikes a minute and absorbs 5.04) win the striking battle then I think he’s either getting finished or he’s losing a decision.
Best bet: Gregory Rodrigues moneyline (-166)
Erin Blanchfield will hope her opponent turns up at UFC 322. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Erin Blanchfield (-245) vs. Tracy Cortez (+200)
In sumo we would say that Blanchfield won her last fight by fusen. That’s what happens when one fighter walks to the ring and the other doesn’t, for whatever reason. Blanchfield was set to fight Maycee Barber in May. But she was left sitting in her locker room as Barber suffered some sort of medical situation (which we’re still not totally clear about). Blanchfield’s last actual fight was a year ago, when she took a co-main event decision over Rose Namajunas. Blanchfield is now 7-1 in UFC with that one loss being to Manon Fiorot, by decision.
Cortez activated Beast Mode in her last fight, as she dominated and mean-mugged Viviane Araujo. That was her first fight since losing to Namajunas in a short notice main event. Cortez took that fight on about a week’s notice, despite it being in Denver (at an altitude Namajunas lives and trains at). That’s her only loss in UFC.
If Cortez could fight like she did against Araujo every time, then she would be a problem for the division.
Unfortunately, for Cortez, what she does best is going to put her in the wheelhouse of what Blanchfield does best. Cortez is likely going to be hunting for takedowns in this fight, but I think that’s going to put her neck at risk with Blanchfield, who has some of the best grappling and submissions in the division.
I don’t know if Blanchfield will be able to find a way to tap Cortez on the ground, but I think her skillset is going to help her get up, sweep, escape and reverse in the ensuing scrambles. And I think she’s probably going to be attempting submissions and perhaps winning rounds on the virtue of Cortez having to spend a long time defending herself.
Blanchfield’s grappling is also complimented by her striking, which is slightly better than Cortez’s.
Best bet: Erin Blanchfield moneyline (-245)
Will Malcolm Wellmaker continue his impressive streak at UFC 322? Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Malcolm Wellmaker (-166) vs. Cody Haddon (+140)
Wellmaker is one of the most exciting prospects the UFC has on the books right now. He’s 10-0 and has crushed all three opponents he’s seen in a UFC cage. On Contender Series he punched his ticket to the big show with a first round KO of Adam Bramhald. Then, in his proper debut, he obliterated Cameron Saaiman with right hook (see it here). He landed the right hook in his next fight, too, knocking out Kris Moutinho (see it here). All of these finishes were walk-offs. When he connects, people go to sleep. He hasn’t needed to follow them to the ground and add more punches to finish them off.
Haddon is an 8-1 prospect out of Australia. He got a submission on Contender Series and then won his proper debut by decision, over Dan Argueta. His only pro loss was to Steve Erceg, by decision. He’s pretty good.
I must be missing something here, I thought this was going to be one of those lines with a -1000 favorite. I think Wellmaker is a star in the making and that he’s going to keep knocking guys out until he gets a ranked opponent.
In his three UFC fights so far he’s landed 7.2 sig. strikes a minute at a 62% accuracy clip. Haddon has a ridiculous 9.2 sig. strikes a minute, but he’s only had two fights. Haddon’s number is so high because he landed 140 sig. strikes on Argueta. Despite landing that massive number of strikes he wasn’t able to finish him (a fighter it turns out already had one foot out the door and into retirement).
I have a lot more respect for what Wellmaker has done so far. And I also think Wellmaker is more ready for the spotlight. This is the first time they’ve let Haddon out of the APEX. MSG might have an effect on the kid. This is the biggest stage Wellmaker has fought on, too, but last time out he competed to a packed house in Atlanta (his home town).
I think we’re going to see another of those walk-off KOs for Wellmaker and that his is a name we’re going to hear a lot more of in 2026.
Best bet: Malcolm Wellmaker moneyline (-166)
Kyle Daukaus gets a relatively quick turnaround at UFC 322. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Kyle Daukaus (-270) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (+265)
Phil Mackenzie, an old colleague from my Bloody Elbow days, once had a feature called The League of Extraordinary Journeymen and this fight feels tailor-made for that.
Daukaus returned to UFC in August to take a short notice fight against Michel Pereira in Shanghai. He cut through Pereira in 43 seconds (which might say more about the state of Pereira’s career than Daukaus’). Daukaus had been in Cage Fighting Fury Championships for most the time since being cut by UFC off an Eryk Anders loss in 2022.
Meerschaert is on a three light losing streak. He was TKO’d by Michal Oleksiejczuk (see it here) in his last fight. Before that he was decisioned by Brad Tavares and submitted by Reinier de Ridder (see it here). He’s now 12-12 in UFC.
I think these odds should be a lot closer. Daukaus’ win, his first since being out in the wilderness, was against a very shot Pereira. Meerschaert’s three losses have all been against tough fighters.
This feels like it could be a very sloppy fight with either man able to hurt the other on the feet and then perhaps being able to score one of their trademark finishes on the ground. I think both guys need to have the other guy rocked in order to submit, them. Otherwise, they likely cancel out each other’s grappling skills.
Meerschaert’s age and woeful takedown defense (42%) have me siding with Daukaus in this fight, but I won’t be surprised if Daukaus walks or rolls himself into something that gets him slept.
The round total is 1.5 for this with the over at -175 and the under at +135. I’m going to take the under, feeling like there could be some real nuttiness to this fight right from the get-go.
Best bet: Under 1.5 rounds (+135)
Angela Hill heads to the Octagon for the 29th time at UFC 322. Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
Angela Hill (+330) vs. Fatima Kline (-480)
Hill lost a decision to the upstart Iasmin Lucindo in August. This is the first time Hill has fought three times in a year since 2022. Her other fight this year was a split decision win over Ketlen Souza. Last year’s fights had her losing a decision to Tabatha Ricci and, prior to that, scoring her first career submission on Luana Pinheiro (see it here).
Kline came into UFC with a lot of buzz, but that all quieted down after she lost to Jasmine Jasudavicius in her debut last year. She moved up to Flyweight for that fight. Since then she’s back been back at Strawweight and she’s won two straight, both by finishes. Last time out she blew away Melissa Martinez with a head kick (see it here) and before that she ground and pounded out Victoria Dudakova (see it here).
Hill turns 41 in January and I think, after a very successful tenure in the promotion, she might be starting to feel the effects of her age. She was playing catch-up with Lucindo the entire fight and her great takedown defense showed some cracks as she was grounded three times.
I think Kline is going to get some takedowns, too. She’s got 60% accuracy on her takedowns and she has a lot of size over Hill (three inches in height and reach). I can see Kline dragging Hill down against the cage and spending some decent time in top division.
Hill is very hard to stop. She’s only lost twice by stoppage, submissions to Rose Namajunas and Randa Markos in 2016 and 2019.
With Hill so far past her prime, I think there’s a chance Kline (a legit BJJ blackbelt) got hand Overkill her third submission loss. For that reason, under 2.5 rounds at +260 is very tempting.
Hill’s path to winning is staying on the outside and picking away with her jabs and kicks to earn a close decision. I’m just not sure she has the motor for that, especially against another one of these rising young fighters.
Best bet: Fatima Kline moneyline (-480)
Pat Sabatini is part of a very good under-the-radar match-up at UFC 322. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Pat Sabatini (-136) vs. Chepe Mariscal (+108)
Sabatini has quietly gone 7-2 in UFC since joining the promotion in 2021. His only losses are to crafty bet Damon Jackson and bona fide contender Diego Lopes (see that stoppage here). He’s on a two fight winning streak with a submission over Jonathan Pearce and a decision over Joanderson Brito. The Brito fight was in April, since then he’s picked up a pair of pro grappling wins with Cage Fury Fighting Championships.
Marsical joined UFC in 2023 and he’s undefeated since then, winning five straight fights. His most recent win was over Ricardo Ramos. He also beat Damon Jackson and Morgan Charriere. He’s a bit of a late bloomer. He had six losses on his record before he came to UFC. Though, some of those regional circuit losses came to names like Steve Garcia, Bryce Mitchell and Gregor Gillespie.
This is a sneaky good fight. Sabatini’s grappling and back taking has looked a lot like Youssef Zalal’s lately, albeit against a lower level of competition. He’s going to want to bring Mariscal down to the mat or climb him against the fence. Mariscal is very well-rounded, though, and he’s got a high motor and lots of grit.
I think Mariscal will fight like hell to get out of bad positions against Sabatini and not like Sabatini slowly work towards a choke.
This is a very close fight and I can see it going either way. I’ll take the plus money with Mariscal, though, thinking he can gut out a decision and perhaps tire Sabatini down the stretch.
Best bet: Chepe Mariscal moneyline (+108)
Baisangur Susurkaev will try and impressive in his second outing at UFC 322. Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC
Baisangur Susurkaev (-850) vs. Eric McConico (+575)
Susurkaev strutted to the cage for his proper debut in August. In that fight he finished Eric Nolan with a second round RNC (see it here). He had won on Contender Series four days prior to that, winning with a body kick against Murtaza Talha. His Nolan win got him to 10-0 as a pro.
McConico also made his UFC debut on short notice. He came in to fight Nursulton Ruziboev, at Middleweight, and lost by second round TKO. McConico took a very close split decision over Cody Brundage in August.
This feels a lot like McConico’s match-up against Ruziboev. Susurkaev has size, range and youth over McConico. The odds on him winning are ridiculously short, but it’s hard to argue against them, especially since McConico is a regional talent who is only here because he did the UFC a solid by coming in as a late replacement.
The round totals aren’t out yet, but I expect we’re looking at 1.5. I would go under that, expecting ‘Hunter’ to keep building on his hype.
Best bet: Under 1.5 rounds
Will Slava Claus have a sad Christmas after UFC 322? Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Viacheslav Borshchev (+136) vs. Matheus Camilo (-162)
Borshchev really needs a win. He’s 1-3-1 in his last five and coming off a 55-second guillotine loss to Terrance McKinney (see it here). His lone win on that stretch is his split decision over James Llontop.
Camilo is the guy who beat the guy who asked Dana White for a fight during a fan’s Q&A session. Camilo was given a UFC debut for that, but he lost it to Gabe Green (by second round submission).
I don’t think we’ve seen much evidence that Camilo is UFC-ready. Viachslav is limited, but he should be too experienced and too well-rounded to lose this one, surely.
Best bet: Viacheslav Borshchev moneyline (+138)
Will Team Khabib bring home gold at UFC 322. Michael Reagan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Here’s a couple of long shots for Saturday night’s action …
Sean Brady to win by Submission (+400)
Michael Morales is taking a big step up in competition here and I don’t think we’ve seen his takedown defense tested on a level that Brady will test him on Saturday. I think there’s a great chance Brady, fuelled by being so close to a title shot, will drag Morales down into those deep waters and find a way to make him tap.
Jack Della Maddalena to win in Round 5 (+3500)
I’m imagining and hoping for a war between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev. I belive that Della Maddalena is going to be able to combat Makhachev’s sambo and keep this fight standing. But I don’t think he will be able to cruise on the feet with Makhachev, who is a very willing (and very good) striker. If it all happens how I imagine, I think we’re going to have an epic fight worthy of MSG and the world’s attention. What better way for it to finish than a late finish in the fifth round?
Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates to end in last 10 seconds of Any Round (+5500)
I’ve cashed on this bet with Carlos Prates before. He’s a guy who goes after it when he hears that 10 second clacker. Last time out he beat Geoff Neal at 4:59 in round one. He beat Neil Magny at 4:50 in round one. And he beat Charles Radtke at 4:47 in round one. His wins over Li Jingliang and Trevin Giles came just after four minutes.
Edwards is the owner of one of the most amazing Hail Mary finishes in UFC history, KOing Kamaru Usman in the fifth round at 4:04. He also once beat Peter Sobotta with just one second left on the clock in round three.
I’m hoping history repeats on Saturday and one of these guys (probably Prates) gets the finish just before the buzzer.
WELTERWEIGHT SUPER FIGHT! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., on Sat., Nov. 15, 2025, with a stacked ESPN+-streamed UFC 322 fight card. In UFC 322’s main event, dominant Russian Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, aims for historic “double-champ” status by challenging Australian knockout specialist and reigning Welterweight kingpin, Jack Della Maddalena, in an explosive title bout that could redefine the 170-pound division. In UFC 322’s co-headliner, women’s Flyweight queenpin, Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko, defends her throne against Strawweight powerhouse, Zhang Weili, who’s also moving up for a shot at two-division glory in a “Champion vs. Champion” showdown packed with elite striking and grappling. All that and SO MUCH MORE!!!
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MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 322 fight card on fight night, starting with the early ESPN+ preliminary card matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the UFC 322 featured “Prelims” at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNews and ESPN+, leading into the UFC 322 main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
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