We are just hours away from UFC 322, which will go down inside New York’s Madison Square Garden. With the show nearly here, now is a perfect time to run through some of the latest news heading into the mega-event on Saturday night.
UFC 322 Weigh-in Results
On Friday morning, all of the fighters competing at UFC 322 took to the scales for the official weigh-ins. Below you can get all the final results, including details on the one competitor who missed weight.
Main Card:
- Jack Della Maddalena (169.8) vs. Islam Makhachev (170.0)
- Valentina Shevchenko (124.6) vs. Zhang Weili (124.6)
- Sean Brady (169.4) vs. Michael Morales (170.6)
- Leon Edwards (170) vs. Carlos Prates (169.6)
- Beneil Dariush (157.2)* vs. Benoit Saint Denis (155.6)
Dariush missed weight, but his bout with Benoit Saint Denis proceeds at a catchweight. Dariush is forfeiting 20 percent of his purse as a penalty.
Preliminary Card:
- Bo Nickal (185.8) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (186)
- Roman Kopylov (185.2) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (185.8)
- Erin Blanchfield (125.8) vs. Tracy Cortez (125.6)
- Malcolm Wellmaker (143.6) vs Ethyn Ewing (145.2)
- Kyle Daukaus (186) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185.6)
- Pat Sabatini (145.6) vs. Chepe Mariscal (145.6)
- Angela Hill (115.6) vs. Fatima Kline (115.4)
- Baisangur Susurkaev (185.2) vs. Eric McConico (185.6)
- Viacheslav Borshchev (155.8) vs. Matheus Camilo (155.8)
Fans Worried About Islam Makhachev After Weigh-in?
On Friday morning, former lightweight king Islam Makhachev took to the scales for the first time in the UFC as a welterweight. Most assumed that the move up to a division 15 pounds higher would be an easy transition for the Russian. However, some fans on X were concerned by his body language on the scales. Suggesting he looked drained.
We will all find out if he had any issues making the weight when he takes on 170-pound champ Jack Della Maddalena in Saturday’s main event.
President Trump Won’t Attend UFC 322
Whenever the UFC puts on an event inside Madison Square Garden, President Trump has become a staple in the front row for the main card. However, according to UFC boss Dana White, he will not be in attendance for Saturday’s event.
Over the weekend, the president was at the Washington Commanders vs. Detroit Lions game to read an oath for members of the military to recite as part of an on-field enlistment ceremony. When he was shown on camera and read the oath, he was loudly booed by NFL fans in attendance. His team may feel the same could happen in New York this weekend, and is choosing to avoid the public relations trouble.
Israel Adesanya, Henry Cejudo Picking JDM Over Makhachev
Many picks and predictions are coming in for Saturday’s headliner. Two of them came from a pair of future UFC Hall of Famers in Israel Adesanya and Henry Cejudo. Both are leaning in the direction of the welterweight champ winning at UFC 322.
“I’m not trying to count Islam out. But I just know Jack. I know when Jack keeps getting up, it’s gonna be a problem. Islam’s gonna be forced to strike. And when he’s forced to strike with Jack, he’s gonna get hurt,” Adesanya said when picking the champion to retain.
“I was going with Makhachev, but I don’t think it’s as simple as I thought it was,” Cejudo said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast. “I will definitely backtrack on that. There’s something that does scare me about this fight. There’s something that Islam said that made me think, ‘If wrestling doesn’t work, we’re going to strike.’ Do you really want to strike with the guy that goes to the body, that kicks, throws knees up the middle, how he caught Gilbert Burns?”
Malcolm Wellmaker Gets Late Opponent Change
Cody Haddon was forced off the UFC 322 card Thursday due to an injury suffered in training during fight week. It left talented prospect Malcolm Wellmaker without an opponent two days before the event. However, MMA Fighting reports Ethyn Ewing (8-2) will step in on short notice to face Wellmaker on Saturday’s prelims.
Shavkat Rakhmonov Reminds Jack Della Maddalena Why He’s In UFC 322 Main Event
Unbeaten contender Shavkat Rakhmonov is unlikely to get the winner of Saturday’s main event next because he has been sidelined for a while due to a knee injury. That issue is why Della Maddalena ended up getting his title shot that he had and was victorious in. The champ recently suggested that Rakhmonov will probably need to fight his way back into contention. Something that did not sit well with the native of Kazakhstan.
“The only reason you got that title shot was my injury,” he said in a post on X. “Funny how you forgot you were inactive for almost 14 months before that 🤦🏻♂️.”
