Making its long-awaited return to the Mecca, UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev will be going down live from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday. Headlined by not one, but two, undisputed world title fights, UFC 322 promises to be an instant classic you won’t want to miss.
To help crank up the intensity level surrounding this stacked MMA event, we’ve provided our top bets and expert insights on each of the main card bouts scheduled, as well as where you can secure the best odds on each pick. Don’t wait, score a knockout over the online sportsbooks today with our UFC 322 picks & predictions below.
- Beneil Dariush to Win by DEC (+620)
- Carlos Prates to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (+179)
- Michael Morales by KO/TKO/DQ (+375)
- Weili Zhang by DEC (+220)
- Islam Makhachev by SUB (+200)
Islam Makhachev to Win by SUB
Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Best Odds on Dariush to Win: +165 (Sports Interaction)
Best Odds on Saint-Denis to Win: -188 (bet365)
Kicking off the main card with a banger between two top lightweight contenders, Beneil “Benny” Dariush takes on Benoit “God of War” Saint-Denis. While Saint-Denis has opened as the strong favourite to take the win, look for the underdog Dariush to pick up the upset victory on the judges’ scorecards to set the tone for the night.
Coming off a bounce-back performance against Renato Moicano, Dariush looked to be back in his old form. Looking sharp on his feet, Dariush made easy money out of his opponent as he dominated the fight on the ground. Using his sensational grappling skillset, Dariush is in a great position to wear down and outlast Saint-Denis in order to generate his latest win.
Benny has excelled at taking his time to generate wins, having scored each of his last four victories by decision, with his last finish coming all the way back in 2020.
While BSD looked solid in his recent submission win over dangerous striker Mauricio Ruffy, we haven’t seen him prevail against a top-ranked lightweight to this point. In both of his previous bouts against top-10-ranked fighters, Saint-Denis has been defeated handily, with both losses coming by knockout against the aforementioned Moicano and Dustin Poirier.
With a suspect gas tank, lack of standup skills, and an unproven resume, look for BSD to fail in matching the output of Dariush as he once again solidifies himself as one of the most underrated fighters at 155 lbs, picking up his second straight win, and positioning himself back in the lightweight title picture with this decision victory.
Prediction: Dariush to Win by DEC (+620 @ TonyBet)
Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates
Best Odds on Edwards to Win: +165 (Sports Interaction)
Best Odds on Prates to Win: -188 (bet365)
In a clash pitting two of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC against each other, Leon “Rocky” Edwards will look to get back into the win column against Brazilian knockout artist, Carlos “The Nightmare” Prates.
While he’s proven himself to the MMA world as a champion, it appears the best days of Leon Edwards are behind him. Coming off of two porous showings in his title defeat against Belal Muhammad, as well as his submission loss to Sean Brady from earlier this year, the former welterweight champ has struggled to regain his momentum.
Going toe-to-toe with the most dangerous 170-lb striker in the UFC, look for Edwards to get slept by the Nightmare in this high-stakes scrap.
Having taken the UFC by storm, Carlos Prates is the definition of a bad man. After kickstarting his UFC career with four straight knockout wins, Prates bounced back in emphatic fashion after taking the competitive decision loss to Ian Machado Garry, knocking out Geoff Neal with a highlight reel spinning elbow at UFC 319.
With this fight likely to be decided on the feet, the knockout power of Prates is going to be the differentiator in this clash. Having been rocked before, the suspect chin of Edwards is simply not going to be able to handle the force being delivered by the strikes of his opponent.
Bank on Prates to continue his ascent toward title contention, knocking out the former title holder, and scoring you a hefty +179 boost to your bankroll in the process.
Prediction: Prates to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (+179 @ TonyBet)
Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales
Best Odds on Brady to Win: -138 (BetVictor)
Best Odds on Morales to Win: +120 (Sports Interaction)
A potential title eliminator in the welterweight division, expect to see a star-making showcase from Michael Morales as he scores the knockout win over Sean Brady.
An undefeated 26-year-old prospect, Morales has all the makings of a future champion. With sensational speed, punching power, and fight IQ, Morales appears to be the whole package. Continuing to get better in every appearance he makes to the Octagon, Brady is going to be in for a rough night once the Octagon door closes.
While not a slouch in his own right, Brady won’t have the firepower to keep up with Morales. While he does possess sensational grappling skills, it’ll be hard for him to find openings to shoot due to the considerable six-inch reach advantage of Morales. Additionally, any strikes landed from Morales could quickly lead to the fight ending, as Brady has shown difficulties absorbing damage, with no greater example than his loss to Belal Muhammad.
Set to land first in all striking exchanges, look for the damage to quickly pile up for Morales as he makes quick work of Brady, extending his undefeated streak to 19-0, and securing his third straight knockout victory.
Prediction: Morales to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (+375 @ Sports Interaction)
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Weili Zhang
Best Odds on Schevchenko to Win: -125 (BetVictor)
Best Odds on Zhang to Win: +110 (ToonieBet)
Arguably the biggest female MMA bout of all-time, two all-time greats are set to square off with the UFC Flyweight title on the line as Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko defends the gold against Weili “Magnum” Zhang.
Moving up from strawweight after essentially clearing the division of any competition, Zhang now has her sights set on becoming a two-division champion with a victory over the best 125-lber ever in Shevchenko. While the champ has proven time and time again not to doubt her ability inside the octagon, look for the title to change hands as Zhang captures gold by way of decision in the co-main event.
A phenomenal athlete, there’s simply nothing that Zhang cannot do. A fantastic striker, Zhang is the faster, stronger, and more creative fighter on the feet in this bout. Additionally, when it comes to grappling, Zhang will also have the edge in this area, able to bully Shevchenko into position, controlling from top position as she inflicts damage over the course of five-rounds.
Bank on Zhang to make history at UFC 322 as she becomes just the second two-division champion in UFC women’s history, joining the Lioness, Amanda Nunes in this elite, exclusive group.
Prediction: Zhang to Win by DEC (+220 @ TonyBet)
Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev
Best Odds on Della Maddalena to Win: +225 (bet365)
Best Odds on Makhachev to Win: -267 (ToonieBet)
Set to cap off a thrilling evening of MMA action, the undisputed UFC welterweight championship is on the line as Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena makes his first title defence against former UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev.
Looking to do what even his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov never accomplished, look for Makhachev to follow in Zhang’s footsteps as he too joins the double champ club with a submission victory against Della Maddalena.
While he will be giving up some size in this tilt, look for Makhachev to cut JDM down as he brings the fight to the canvas early into the bout. Wanting to avoid the heavy-handedness of the defending champ, Makhachev will look to utilize his elite grappling and sambo background in order to generate the win.
In the past, we’ve seen JDM struggle mightily to stop the takedown, something that both Basil Haffez and Gilbert Burns were able to do successfully in their bouts with him. Surprisingly, in his title victory over Belal Muhammad, the typically heavy-grappler Muhammad opted to instead stand-and-bang with the Aussie, which lead to the transfer of gold as a result.
Not wanting to fall victim to the same game plan, look for Makhachev to avoid getting into lengthy standup exchanges with Della Maddalena, instead moving around the Octagon with purpose, feinting, and setting up the takedown as he stays out of the striking range of his opponent.
Once the fight goes to the ground, look for the classic Dagestani wrestling skills to come out, locking in a devastating choke as Makhachev ends off UFC 322 with an emphatic submission victory in order to become UFC welterweight champion.
Prediction: Makhachev to Win by SUB (+200 @ BetVictor)
UFC 322 Prelim Picks
- Borshchev by DEC
- Susurkaev by KO/TKO/DQ (-225)
- Kline by DEC (-180)
- Mariscal by DEC (+300)
- Daukaus by KO/TKO/DQ (+170)
- Wellmaker by KO/TKO/DQ (+145)
- Blanchfield by DEC (-145)
- Rodrigues by KO/TKO/DQ (+250)
- Nickal by DEC (+125)