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‘UFC 322 & Qatar Fight Night’
Shake Up the UFC
By Isaac Gomez
UFC 322 was honestly one of those cards that reminded me why I love this sport so much. Islam Makhachev walked into Madison Square Garden like he owned the place and walked out with a second UFC belt to prove it. His win over Jack Della Maddalena wasn’t wild or chaotic, but it was pure domination — the kind of technical smothering only Makhachev can pull off. And tying Anderson Silva’s insane 16-fight UFC win streak? That’s legendary. It feels like we’re watching someone really special, live and in real time.
Then Valentina Shevchenko stepped in and gave Zhang Weili a reality check. Valentina was calm, sharp, and composed for all five rounds — mixing up crisp kicks, wrestling, and control like she’d been in that moment a million times before. Zhang came in with big ambitions, but Shevchenko made the fight look easy. If you were hoping for chaos, this wasn’t it — but if you wanted a demonstration of elite-level MMA, you got a masterclass. Shevchenko continues to age like fine wine at flyweight, but younger fighters like Erin Blanchfield or Natalia Silva are coming up fast — and sooner or later, she might have to answer whether she stays dominant or chases bigger, riskier fights.
The rest of UFC 322’s main card didn’t disappoint either. Michael Morales blew up Sean Brady with a first-round TKO. Carlos Prates stunned people when he knocked out Leon Edwards in Round 2. The opener was wild, too: Benoît Saint Denis landed a lightning-fast left hook in just 16 seconds, flooring Beneil Dariush like a highlight-reel moment. And then there was Bo Nickal, who landed a devastating head-kick KO on Rodolfo Vieira. Dude is out here proving he’s not just a wrestler — he’s a future threat.
On November 22, 2025 — the UFC returned to action with its very first show in Qatar: UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker. Headlined by Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dan Hooker, this event wasn’t just another fight night — it marked a new milestone for the UFC’s global footprint. Tsarukyan locked in a second-round arm-triangle choke, making a big statement in the lightweight division. Looking ahead, Makhachev’s welterweight title reign could reshape his legacy. Big names like current lightweight champ Ilia Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira and the top Welterweight contender Michael Morales await to see what Machachev decides next.
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