WLIT.FM Recap: UFC 322 brings blockbuster title fights (and chaos) to Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK, N.Y. — The World’s Most Famous Arena delivered again. UFC 322 packed Madison Square Garden with two champion-vs-champion superfights, a string of violent finishes, and a crowd that roared like it was fight week on Long Island.

Below is everything you need to know from a wild night in Midtown.

Main event: Makhachev joins the two-belt club

Islam Makhachev def. Jack Della Maddalena (UD 50-45 x3) — Moving up in weight, the pound-for-pound wrecking ball Islam Makhachev put on a masterclass, clean-sweeping the cards to lift the welterweight title. The blueprint: chew up the legs at range, smother with clinch pressure, and bank dominant top time after well-timed entries. Della Maddalena’s boxing never found consistent rhythm; Makhachev’s pace and positional control shut the door on late drama. Result: Makhachev becomes a two-division UFC champion and instantly shakes up 170.

What’s next: Double-champ questions abound. Does Makhachev defend at 170 next, or drop back to 155 and force an interim at welterweight? Either path creates must-see matchups.

Co-main: Shevchenko blanks Weili in champ vs. champ showcase

Valentina Shevchenko (c) def. Zhang Weili (UD 50-45 x3) — Five clinical rounds from “Bullet.” Shevchenko’s body kicks, pocket counters, and well-timed level changes cooled any Weili surges and kept the strawweight queen off balance. The cardio held, the reads sharpened, and the judges saw it the same: a shutout. Weili remains an elite two-division threat, but flyweight was Shevchenko’s house on this night.

The moment that rattled the room

Carlos Prates def. Leon Edwards (KO R2 1:28) — A thunderbolt left hand flipped the script. After a strong opening frame from Edwards—including threatening back control—Prates found the pocket early in Round 2 and uncorked the cleanest counter of the evening. Edwards was out moments later. Massive statement for Prates; a brutally tough third straight setback for the former champ.

Breakouts, heartbreaks, and local-fan talking points

• Benoit Saint Denis def. Beneil Dariush (KO R1, :16) — A lightning-start detonation that had the Garden on its feet before some fans found their seats.

• Bo Nickal def. Rodolfo Vieira (KO R3, head kick) — The wrestler with hands. Nickal added a highlight-reel finish to a growing portfolio that’s equal parts pressure and polish.

• Michael Morales def. Sean Brady (KO R1) — A star-making blitz. Morales’ speed and shot selection were on point from the opening horn.

• Erin Blanchfield def. Tracy Cortez (SUB R2, RNC) — A composed, methodical squeeze from a fighter who continues to look like a future title fixture.

• Gregory Rodrigues def. Roman Kopylov (UD) — “Robocop” bossed the clinch and the exchanges to win an honest, hard-nosed decision.

• Scorecards delivered across the undercard, with prospects and veterans trading momentum and damage in equal measure.

Atmosphere & numbers

MSG did what MSG does: deafening during walkouts, stunned-silent after the biggest knockouts, then right back to a rolling boil. Early indications put the gate among the largest of the year, reflecting the double-title billing and New York’s fight-mad fanbase.

What it means, big picture

• Welterweight is officially upside down. With Makhachev grabbing gold, the contender grid at 170 just got reshuffled. Expect matchmakers to weigh immediate defenses versus cross-division detours.

• Flyweight stability. Shevchenko looked like, well, Shevchenko—technical, measured, and unbothered. The queue at 125 isn’t getting shorter.

• Risers to watch. Saint Denis, Morales, and Nickal all walked out of the Garden with real momentum—and Long Island fans will be circling their next dates.

WLIT.FM takeaway

For local fight fans, UFC 322 was the kind of New York card we hope for every fall: two belts in play, stars across the lineup, and the kind of finishes that live forever on the jumbotron replay. If you were anywhere near Penn Station afterward, you heard it—the city still knows how to throw a combat-sports party.

Full results at a glance

• Islam Makhachev def. Jack Della Maddalena — unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

• Valentina Shevchenko def. Zhang Weili — unanimous decision (50-45 x3)

• Michael Morales def. Sean Brady — KO (R1)

• Carlos Prates def. Leon Edwards — KO (R2 1:28)

• Benoit Saint Denis def. Beneil Dariush — KO (R1 :16)

• Bo Nickal def. Rodolfo Vieira — KO (R3, head kick)

• Gregory Rodrigues def. Roman Kopylov — unanimous decision

• Erin Blanchfield def. Tracy Cortez — submission (R2, RNC)

• Plus additional prelim results throughout the night.

Sources: Live result hubs and official scorecards from reputable outlets covering UFC 322 at MSG.