UFC 322 will be held in Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The Mecca for generational, epic pugilistic battles through the decades.
A packed house will take in twenty-eight fighters competing against one another to jettison their career trajectories and earning power forward into 2026.
There are several fights where there exists a greater than five-year age difference which favors younger combatants. Also, name recognition is higher as ranked and soon to be elite mixed martial artists face one another in what in many cases is an elimination fight.
Last week, I split releases for the second week in a row.
Islam Makhachev -265 vs. Jack Della Maddalena +235 Champion Welterweight (170lbs.) title
JDM is the current welterweight champion having earned the title in his last battle where he dominated former champion Belal Muhammad (who decided to forgo his forte of wrestling and compete against JDM on the feet) a massive mistake. This was not only unsound strategy, but it allowed JDM to dominate the wrestling-based Muhammad by consistently getting up from the takedown.
In this fight JDM, a black belt in BJJ with a world class boxing background will not be fortunate enough to have an opponent that will fight him at his (JDM’s) advantage.
JDM is the bona fide welterweight athlete. He cuts weight to make it through weigh ins, and he is accustomed to welterweight power, might and size. JDM’s own size will be an adjustment for Makhachev, who holds substantial size advantage over the lightweights but will be on par with Jack.
For Makhachev, an International Master of Sport in combat sambo and a black belt in Judo, the weight of the world is on his shoulders being the next evolution of the Nurmagomedov wrestling dominance in the UFC.
Makhachev’s wrestling is the most dominant in the organization, his training at the hands of his cousin, lightweight GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov will prepare Makhachev for everything JDM has to offer by way of fight arsenal.
Makhachev, the most feared wrestling based mixed martial artist on the UFC roster is also an accomplished striker and he will absolutely be willing to strike with JDM because his camp believes as do I that on the feet this fight is even.
Eventually we will see Makhachev transition into his advantage. That advantage is wrestling. He’ll clasp, hit the takedown then drown JDM in the deep waters of Dagestani pressure. It’s Makhacev’s ability to dominate in the wrestling, which will as soon as he decides to employ it will put him at great advantage in this fight.
Fans are advertised to see a fascinating clash of styles but at the end of the day what they may witness is a first class wiping of the matt from Makhachev.
We’ll find out soon enough how complete the JDM wrestling acumen has become in this fight because is sole chance to win this fight is to be able to repel Makhachev take down attempts and keep this fight waged on the feet.
Total in this fight: 3.5Rds Over -130
Valentina Schevchenko -135 vs. Weili Zhang +115 Woman’s Flyweight (125lbs.) Title
Chinese mixed martial artist Weili Zhang held the women’s Strawweight championship twice in her career and now she makes the move up in weight class to face Russian fighter Valentina Schevchenko, a combatant as accomplished as any in MMA history.
At strawweight, Zhang faced every form of threat and defended her title numerous times and against every form of mixed martial arts threat, strikers, wrestlers, grapplers, and brawlers.
Zhang’s toughest tests came against Rose Namajunas who beat Zhang twice. Namajunas had deft wrestling/grappling ability to go with effective striking and nimble footwork.
In previous bouts, it’s wrestling where Zhang’s mettle has been most tested, but she’s developed quickly in that artform and arrives to this Flyweight challenge more than ready to try to address the dominance of the Russian Shevchenko.
Current Flyweight Champion Valentina Schevchenko, thirty-seven, has accolades in mixed martial arts that would fill a whole column by themselves.
She is the 125lb. champion for a second time now and has defeated the who’s who in both the women’s bantamweight and flyweight divisions.
She now finds herself in another title test, this time at a weight division she’s ruled for years but at thirty-seven while the guile and savvy are certainly hers, quickness, power and might belong her adversary.
What Zhang yearns to earn, and what she needs to solidify her claim to being on the woman’s MMA Mount Rushmore is that second title but more impressively… a second title over the GOAT of women’s MMA, Ms. Shevchenko.
This is going to be one of the most dynamic and well-matched fights of the year and I am looking forward to seeing if Zhang can defeat the decision machine that is Valentina Schevchenko and lay claim to defeating the woman currently regarded as the all-time GOAT of women’s UFC.
I believe in Zhang
Zhang +115 1u
Zhang Decision +200 1u
Total in this fight: 4.5Rds Over -260
Bo Nickal -215 vs. Rodolpho Viera +190 Middleweight (185lbs.)
This is what I mean when I say that we must be aware of these fight ‘situations.’ This ‘situation’ is relatively clear.
The UFC wants to manicure Bo Nickal and present the all American, world class wrestling talent with an advantageous path to success and popularity. Why? Because he puts seats in seats and sells the UFC!
One may only look as far as to his placement on this main card after being decimated in his last fight by a man who basically quit on his stool in his last fight a month ago.
Nickal’s being matched with what looks like on paper, a tough matchup save for the fact that his opponent is slow as a glacier in his striking and movement, singularly dimensioned as a grappler and will be unable to engage nickel let alone drag him to the floor. This fight was made for Nickal to shine.
Parlay time
Nickal -215/Makhachev -265 1u returns 1.02u
Total in the Nickal/Viera fight: 2.5Rds Over -150
Friday morning the ‘Bout Business Podcast drops at GambLou.com. Catch all my UFC 322 releases there!
Than you for reading and enjoy the hostilities!