During Saturday’s UFC 326 broadcast, promotion officials announced that Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Weili Zhang from UFC 248 in March of 2020 would be inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame, in the Fight Wing as part of the Class of 2026.

The bout saw Jedrzejczyk challenging China’s Zhang for her old women’s strawweight title; Zhang came out the winner, in a dangerously close split decision. The bout also saw a massive hematoma form on Jedrzejczyk’s head, but that didn’t stop her from finishing the bout.

“The fight between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili at UFC 248 is one of the greatest fights I’ve ever seen,” said UFC President & CEO Dana White in a press release distributed in conjunction with Saturday’s announcement. “This fight was incredible. You had two talented savages that wanted the strawweight title more than anything and neither one of them backed down during this fight. I knew this was going to be a badass fight and it absolutely delivered. Congrats to Joanna and Weili on a fight that will always be remembered!”

The pair would rematch at UFC 272 two years later, in a non-title affair that Zhang won via spinning back fist.

Jedrzejczyk was previously inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s Modern Wing in 2024 for her career efforts. While Jedrzejczyk has retired, Zhang remains an active part of the UFC roster.

The post Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Weili Zhang All-Time Great Fight Headed to UFC Hall of Fame appeared first on Cageside Press.

In the main event, Islam Makhachev successfully topped welterweight champ, Jack Della Maddalena, to capture a belt in his second weight class. In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko bested Zhang Weili, denying one of China’s brightest from holding a title in another weight class. The feature prelim along with all the fights on the main card, save for the co-main and main events, ended with exciting finishes. A rare case of five ranked losers looking for matchups off of the 19th UFC card held in New York.

Jack Della Maddalena

Islam Makhachev smothered and shut out Jack Della Maddalena over the course of five rounds to win a unanimous decision and capture the welterweight title. The loss was Jack’s first in nearly 10 years, dating back to just his second professional MMA fight.

JDM will head back to the drawing board, with no chance for an automatic rematch. Jack should look to welcome back Shavkat Rakhmonov to the octagon for his next fight. Rakhmonov is currently ranked at #3 in the division, though he has not competed since December of 2024 with his unanimous decision over Ian Garry. Shavkat who is 19-0 as a pro and 7-0 under the UFC banner, competed injured during that bout. He took the year off rehabbing and should be fully recovered and back in the octagon in 2026. Who better to take on than the former champ? Puts JDM right back in the fire with another huge opportunity. Shavkat gets an immediate chance to show that he’s ready to fight for the title. Everyone wins.

A good backup fight would be giving JDM Ian Garry, who is scheduled to fight former welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, in the co-main event on November 22 in Qatar. If Garry beats Belal, like JDM did, the UFC brass should match him against Jack. Fans would love that striking matchup. Ian is currently ranked at #6 within the division. Both of these matchups have Fight Night main event written all over them with the winner likely landing a title shot.

Maddalena’s next fight: Shavkat Rakhmonov or Ian Garry (If he beats Belal next week)

Zhang Weili

Valentina Shevchenko put on a masterclass in MMA as she cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Zhang Weili at UFC 322 to retain her flyweight title. The loss snapped a five-fight win streak for the former Women’s Strawweight Champion. And she was thwarted in her attempt at double champ status.

Zhang wasn’t definitive with her answer when questioned if she would be staying up at 125lbs. Considering that Zhang is 36 and has all but cleaned out the strawweight division, for the sake of this article, we’ll assume she’s here to stay.

Best matchup for Weili at this point would be giving her another fight against Rose Namajunas. Weili is 10-3 in the UFC. She’s lost to Valentina, obviously, and to Rose- twice. Namajunas stopped Zhang in the first round of their first bout in 2021, before defeating her in a split decision just a few months later, as well. Rose would lose the belt in mid 2022 before moving up to 125lbs herself. Since moving up Rose is 3-2 with losses to Manon Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield. Rose is currently ranked at #6 in the division and was last in action against Miranda Maverick in June when she captured a unanimous decision win. This bout could easily be a main event or co-main event for a Fight Night card.

Zhang’s next fight: Rose Namajunas III

Sean Brady

Michael Morales quickly melted Sean Brady in the first round of their bout on the main card of UFC 322 on Saturday. It was a devastating loss for Brady who had been building momentum since 2022 when he was stopped by Belal Muhammad. Since that fight, Brady had won three in a row stopping Kelvin Gastelum and Leon Edwards. Brady entered the fight ranked at #2 in the welterweight division while Morales was ranked at #8.

A great next fight for Sean Brady would be to take on Joaquin Buckley. Buckley is ranked at #7 at welterweight. Joaquin was riding a six-fight win steak before he lost a unanimous decision to former welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, back in June over the course of five rounds. Buckley stopped Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington in the two fights prior to his bout with Usman. He’s on that level (Top 10), and giving him a game competitor like Brady is the perfect opportunity for both men who have impressive resumes but suffered blemishes to their records recently.

Brady’s next fight: Joaquin Buckley 

Leon Edwards

Carlos Prates added to his highlight reel as he dropped and finished the former welterweight champ, Leon Edwards, on Saturday. Edwards has yet to reestablish his footing within the division since losing his title to Belal Muhammad in July of 2024. With the loss last night, Leon has dropped three bouts in a row and has been finished in his last two appearances. Edwards entered this fight ranked at #4 while Carlos was ranked at #9.

For his next fight, Leon needs something manageable. Not exactly a gimmie fight, but not a young hungry undefeated killer either. Gilbert Burns could offer the perfect opponent for ‘Mr. Headshot’. Burns, now 39 years old, has dropped his last four fights and been finished in two. His most recent fight was back in May when he was picked apart and stopped by Michael Morales. This matchup would work perfectly and would be a bout that many fans would look forward too as it is a striker vs. grappler matchup between two tenured skillful vets. This fight could be placed anywhere, main card of a PPV or potentially a main or co main event for a fight night card. A confidence builder for both.

Edwards’s next fight:  Gilbert Burns 

Beneil Dariush

The main card of UFC 322 on Saturday started with bang, as Benoit Saint Denis face-planted Beneil Dariush in just 16 seconds. Dariush has now dropped three of his last four fights. Beneil has been finished in the first round of all three of those losses. Beneil entered the fight ranked at #9 in the division while Benoit was ranked at #13. Dariush also has the misfortune of missing weight coming in at 157.2lbs. for the bout.

Beneil’s next fight should be a rematch against Mateusz Gamrot. Even with Gamrot ranked at #8 in the division, the matchup still makes a lot of sense. The pair fought in late 2022 and Dariush won a unanimous decision. Since that bout, Gamrot is 4-2 and Dariush is 1-3. If you look a little closer however, Gamrot is 1-2 in his last three fights. This is including a submission defeat to Charles Oliveira in his most recent fight last month. Bout was solid the first time and running it back now could be an even more interesting affair for fans. Grappler vs. grappler matchup that could land on nearly any card in 2026.

Dariush’s next fight: Mateusz Gamrot II

The post What’s Next: UFC 322 Losers appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Bullet” had long been the most dominant female flyweight on the planet, but with Zhang having cleared out all the big names at 115lbs, the long-brewing super-fight finally arrived in the co-main event of UFC 322 in New York City.

Noticeable early in the fight was how light and active on her feet Weili Zhang was. Her speed and in-and-out movement were on full display, catching champ Shevchenko with a punch early. Shevchenko would fire a Superman punch about a minute in, but was playing a more patient game, staying outside and using her length.

When Zhang closed the distance, Shevchenko welcomed her with a knee, sending the pair to the mat with the champ on top. Shevchenko worked to improve her position, but Zhang was able to scramble back up. That led to Shevchenko again working from the outside, and as Zhang came in, she was clipped with a spinning backfist. A clinch led to Shevchenko reversing, and landing a takedown, straight into side control. Zhang would finish the round on her back.

After losing the opening frame, Weili Zhang was still bouncing on her feet early in the second. Under a minute in, a clinch led to Shevchenko getting the fight down off a throw. In half guard, she passed to side control briefly. Zhang got half guard back, but not for long. Back to side control for the champ, who was threatening to lock up a crucifix. Zhang avoided that, just barely, but Shevchenko kept chasing it. Zhang would finally catch a leg with her own, getting Shevchenko back in half guard. A moment later, full guard. Small victories for Zhang, who was being dominated otherwise.

Between the second and third round, Zhang’s corner instructed her to keep the fight on the feet. She fired some big right hands early, but hit air. Shevchenko’s counter did land. A spinning kick landed, a glancing blow, for the champ. Through three minutes, Zhang had done as her corner asked, keeping the fight standing. Perhaps still trailing a bit on the feet, but she was still on the feet, until Shevchenko finally got her in a clinch and threw her down. Then it was Shevchenko in half guard, on top, showing she was simply too powerful on top for Zhang to overcome. Shevchenko fired off some ground n’ pound to finish the stanza, and headed into the championship rounds with a comfortable lead.

With Valentina Shevchenko almost certainly up 30-27, Weili Zhang almost certainly needed a finish in the final ten minutes. She opened round four eating a few kicks from the champ, that had a noticeable effect after impact. Another kick to the body sent Zhang staggering back. In a Thai clinch, Shevchenko ripped a knee to the body. Another kick to the body, a front kick this time, and again, Zhang stumbled back. The challenger would land a kick of her own, then ate a right hand for her troubles.

The first takedown of round four arrived with just over a minute on the clock. Shevchenko caught a kick, dumped Zhang, and found herself in half guard. Zhang was stuck on her back until the round closed out, down to just five minutes to find a way to flip the script.

Zhang’s corner called for a takedown, a submission, or just a finish between rounds. Considering the Chinese challenger had been losing the grappling exchanges, how viable that request was certainly seemed up for debate. Shevchenko was still ripping kicks to the body. And two minutes in, she landed a takedown that simply had to be demoralizing for Weili.

After 25 minutes, there was little more to say: Valentina Shevchenko had looked thoroughly dominant, and Zhang never seemed like she was truly in the fight.

Official Result: Valentina Shevchenko def. Weili Zhang by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

The post UFC 322: Valentina Shevchenko Thoroughly Dominant, Turns Back Weili Zhang appeared first on Cageside Press.

With two massive title fights topping the card, it wasn’t hyperbole to say it was one of the biggest events of the year. More so for who was challenging for those titles than anything: Islam Makhachev had vacated his lightweight title to challenge for welterweight gold, while Weili Zhang had done the same at strawweight to land a fight with women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko.

No matter who won on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, history would be made, as both fights, belts be damned, amount to champ versus champ affairs.

With names like Gregory Rodrigues, Leon Edwards, Bo Nickal, Erin Blanchfield, Sean Brady and others also in action, the UFC 322 card was solid from top to bottom. A big performance by Blanchfield early in the night had the possibility of vaulting her into position for the next title fight following Shevchenko vs. Zhang, though Natalia Silva would no doubt have something to say about that.

Following UFC 322, tune in for the event’s post-fight press conference to stay on top of all the breaking news and storylines. A live stream of the affair can be viewed above.

The post UFC 322: Maddalena vs. Makhachev Post-Fight Press Conference Live Stream appeared first on Cageside Press.

In reality, you can view them that way. In an unprecedented bit of booking, two long-serving UFC champions, Makhachev and Zhang, are moving up in weight to pursue second titles against Jack Della Maddalena (the promotion’s current welterweight kingpin) and Valentina Shevchenko (on her second reign as UFC women’s flyweight champ). On the same night, on one of the biggest cards of the year in New York City.

The reality is, had these moves come in an era with, say, less than 40+ UFC events, Islam and Weili might have held on to their titles. But the days of seeing a Conor McGregor or Daniel Cormier parading around the octagon with two titles are likely over, with the promotion no longer keen on having a division held up simply to build the legacy of an individual fighter. No matter how big a draw they might be.

In any case, a promising card awaited fans at Madison Square Garden on Saturday – and we’ve got our picks in! Read on to see how we see the main card playing out.

Writer / Fight	Dariush vs. Saint-Denis	Edwards vs. Prates	Brady vs. Morales	Shevchenko vs. Zhang	Maddalena vs. Makhachev
Eddie Law (128-72)
Alex Behunin (121-73)
Chris Prawdzik (89-58)
Mathis Desjardins (113-77)
Jay Anderson (117-83)
Brett Cagle (114-75)
Patrick Danna (38-30)
Mike Owens (0-0)

It seems like our crew feels there will be one title changing hands on Saturday. Islam Makhachev is heavily favored to claim welterweight gold, with only one writer responding siding with Jack Della Maddalena. That actually goes against the betting line, which sees the fight closer than our crew.

The night’s co-main event was a much closer pick, and we’re split 50/50 between Shevchenko retaining, and Zhang finding glory at flyweight.

The lone unanimous pick on the UFC 322 main card was Carlos Prates, with apologies to ex-welterweight champ Leon Edwards.

The post UFC 322: Maddalena vs. Makhachev Main Card Staff Picks appeared first on Cageside Press.

They are both, in essence, champion versus champion fights, with the caveat that both Makhachev and Zhang were forced to give up their existing belts to pursue opportunities in new weight classes. That’s the reality of the UFC as it heads into the Paramount+ era. It seems the promotion is done with stars holding up divisions, and as much as double-champs could be fun, it’s hard to blame them.

Still, it’s something of a surprise with these two names, given both Islam Makhachev and Weili Zhang are future Hall of Famers (not unlike Valentina Shevchenko).

Weigh-ins for UFC 322 took place on Friday, with only one miss: Beneil Dariush came in 1.2lbs heavy for his fight with Benoit Saint-Denis. Dariush did not continue to cut, and instead pays a 20% fine, but the fight moves forward at a catchweight.

Check out highlights from Friday’s weigh-in, plus results, below.

UFC 322: Maddalena vs. Makhachev Weigh-In Results

Main card

Welterweight: Jack Della Maddalena (c) (169.8) vs. Islam Makhachev (170) – for the UFC welterweight championship
Women’s Flyweight: Valentina Shevchenko (c) (124.6) vs. Weili Zhang (124.2) – for the UFC women’s strawweight championship
Welterweight: Sean Brady (169.4) vs. Michael Morales (170.6)
Welterweight: Leon Edwards (170) vs. Carlos Prates (169.6)
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush (157.2)* vs. Benoît Saint Denis (155.6)

Preliminary card 

Middleweight: Bo Nickal (185.8) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (186)
Middleweight: Roman Kopylov (185.2) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (185.8)
Women’s Flyweight: Erin Blanchfield (125.8) vs. Tracy Cortez (125.6)
Featherweight: Malcolm Wellmaker (143.6) vs. Ethyn Ewing (145.2)

Early preliminary card

Middleweight: Kyle Daukaus (186) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185.6)
Featherweight: Pat Sabatini (145.6) vs. Chepe Mariscal (145.6)
Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill (115.6) vs. Fatima Kline (115.4)
Middleweight: Baisangur Susurkaev (185.2) vs. Eric McConico (185.6)
Lightweight: Viacheslav Borshchev (155.8) vs. Matheus Camilo (155.8)

* Dariush weighed in 1.2lbs over the lightweight non-title limit, while stripped down, for his fight with Benoit Saint-Denis. Dariush will forfeit 20% of his fight purse, bout moves forward.

Official Weigh-Ins

Ceremonial Weigh-Ins

The post UFC 322: Maddalena vs. Makhachev Weigh-In Photo Highlights appeared first on Cageside Press.

They are, in reality, champ versus champ fights, though the reality of the modern UFC landscape as it heads into the Paramount+ era necessitated that both Islam Makhachev (lightweight) and Weili Zhang (strawweight) drop their respective titles prior to moving up to challenge for a second.

And so only Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko will hold gold to start the night at Madison Square Garden this Saturday.

With apologies to the main event, especially given that Jack Della Maddalena has proven himself to be a very good fighter, it’s Shevchenko vs. Zhang that qualifies not just as a champ vs. champ fight, but a super-fight. There simply aren’t enough faces on Mt. Rushmore to make that silly MMA analogy any longer, but on the women’s side of the sport, you might look at it something like this: Gina Carano, Cris Cyborg, Ronda Rousey, Amanda Nunes, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Valentina Shevchenko, and Weili Zhang have had the biggest impact on the sport. Honorable mentions might go to the likes of Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, Rose Namajunas, and pioneers like Megumi Fujii and Jessica Aguilar (that latter’s career trailed off too badly to have at the forefront).

But Zhang and Shevchenko are two current, again excusing one vacated title, UFC champions, two UFC stars, two future Hall of Famers. While the jury is still out on JDM (he’s still new, in his first title defense), their legacy is set in stone.

And the UFC 322 co-main event is very much about legacy. It’s what the main event is as well, as Makhachev looks to arguably surpass friend, mentor and teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov as the most dominant fighter to come out of Dagestan.

Weigh-ins for UFC 322 take place Friday morning in New York, NY, kicking off at 9AM ET, 6AM PT. Results can be found below.

Beneil Dariush was the lone fighter to miss weight for UFC 322, coming in 1.2lbs over the non-title lightweight limit. He did not make a second attempt, and has been fined 20% of his pure. His fight with Benoit Saint-Denis moves forward however.

UFC 322: Maddalena vs. Makhachev Weigh-In Results

Main card

Welterweight: Jack Della Maddalena (c) (169.8) vs. Islam Makhachev (170) – for the UFC welterweight championship
Women’s Flyweight: Valentina Shevchenko (c) (124.6) vs. Weili Zhang (124.2) – for the UFC women’s strawweight championship
Welterweight: Sean Brady (169.4) vs. Michael Morales (170.6)
Welterweight: Leon Edwards (170) vs. Carlos Prates (169.6)
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush (157.2)* vs. Benoît Saint Denis (155.6)

Preliminary card 

Middleweight: Bo Nickal (185.8) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (186)
Middleweight: Roman Kopylov (185.2) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (185.8)
Women’s Flyweight: Erin Blanchfield (125.8) vs. Tracy Cortez (125.6)
Featherweight: Malcolm Wellmaker (143.6) vs. Ethyn Ewing (145.2)

Early preliminary card

Middleweight: Kyle Daukaus (186) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185.6)
Featherweight: Pat Sabatini (145.6) vs. Chepe Mariscal (145.6)
Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill (115.6) vs. Fatima Kline (115.4)
Middleweight: Baisangur Susurkaev (185.2) vs. Eric McConico (185.6)
Lightweight: Viacheslav Borshchev (155.8) vs. Matheus Camilo (155.8)

* Dariush weighed in 1.2lbs over the lightweight non-title limit, while stripped down, for his fight with Benoit Saint-Denis. Dariush will forfeit 20% of his fight purse, bout moves forward.

The post UFC 322: Maddalena vs. Makhachev Weigh-In Results — Dariush Heavy appeared first on Cageside Press.

Islam Makhachev gave up his lightweight title earlier this year for the all but certain guarantee that he’d fight for welterweight gold next. When Makhachev, a teammate and now student of Khabib Nurmagomedov, voiced a desire to fight in either Abu Dhabi or New York, the UFC made it happen.

You’d be forgiven for forgetting that it’s Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena who is currently the UFC’s undisputed welterweight champion. He beat Belal Muhammad back in May to win the division’s crown, doing so in the house that GSP built, the Bell Centre in Montreal.

It’s Makhachev stealing the headlines this week, however. Makhachev who is the favorite, albeit a moderate one. If there’s any surprise, it’s that the odds are as close as they are. JDM has, at the very least, impressed and won over a number of doubters.

The UFC 322 co-main event finds a super-fight ready to unfold. Like Makhachev, Weili Zhang dropped her title, the women’s strawweight belt, to pursue a second crown against Valentina Shevchenko at flyweight. Shevchenko is a two-time champ at 125lbs. Zhang is a two-time champ at 115lbs. It’s rare that two champions, roughly the same age, still at the top of their game, collide in this fashion. Which makes Saturday’s co-headliner something special.

All four stars will be on hand for Thursday’s UFC 322 pre-fight press conference, which gets underway at 5PM ET, 3PM PT. Catch a live stream of the proceedings above.

The post UFC 322: Maddalena vs. Makhachev Pre-Fight Press Conference Live Stream appeared first on Cageside Press.

Weili (26-3) has taken a different approach to this camp, adjusting to life in a higher weight class. Cutting to 125 pounds has been a far easier process, no more starving herself to make 115.

“I feel very different because before I (fought) at strawweight, I dead long time,” Weili told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“Everyday I watched delicious food. So this time I can eat. I eat a lot, I have a lot of energy training.”

As fight night approaches, Weili isn’t underestimating the task at hand. She’s well aware of Valentina Shevchenko’s credentials, and still believes it’s her moment to make history.

“I think Valentina is very good, very strong, and striking is very good. 13 times world champion Muay Thai, right? So striking is very good. Longtime flyweight champion so I think this Saturday comes, And New,” she said.

When breaking down her opponent’s skill set, Weili didn’t hesitate to praise Shevchenko’s well-rounded game. She also emphasized her own mindset heading into the fight.

“Valentina’s technique is very good. Wrestling is good,” she said.

“I just want to (be) like water. Smooth.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Weili Zhang above. She faces Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322 on Saturday night.

The post Weili Zhang Respects Valentina Shevchenko, Believes It’s Her Time: “And New” appeared first on Cageside Press.

The co-main event will see Valentina Shevchenko defend her flyweight title against Weili Zhang in New York.

UFC CEO Dana White made the announcement on social media on Thursday.

Makhachev (27-1) dropped his lightweight title when he announced he’d be moving up to welterweight. He steps right into a world title fight against Maddalena for his first UFC bout at 170 pounds.

Maddalena (18-2) is coming off taking the title off Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May. He takes on Makhachev who dominated the lightweight division defending his belt 4 times before moving up to welterweight.

The co-main event sets up the current flyweight champion against the former strawweight champ in a fight fans have been wanting to see for some time now.

Shevchenko (25-4-1), the two-time UFC flyweight champion, defends her title for the second time in her second stint at queen of the 125ers. She defended her title 7 times in her first run at champ before dropping the title against Alexa Grasso at UFC 285.

She regained the throne at UFC 306 by defeating Grasso in the rematch. Manon Fiorot challenged her for the belt at UFC 315, but fell short.

Weili (26-3) has vacated her title to challenge Shevchenko at flyweight. She’s coming off her third title defense in her second run as strawweight champion making it 4 title defenses in total.

With both Makhachev and Weili vacating their titles before moving up it looks as though the UFC wants to move away from double champs and get back to fully active divisions.

Also added to UFC 322 is a welterweight bout between Carlos Prates and former welterweight champion Leon Edwards. Prates, who’s coming off a win at UFC 319 in Chicago, had been hoping for that bout in Brazil but gets to go to NYC instead.

The post Islam vs. JDM, Weili vs. Valentina Set For UFC 322 At MSG appeared first on Cageside Press.