UFC 322 Odds and Predictions – Can Makhachev Become a Two-Division Champ?

• Jack Della Maddalena (+215)
• Islam Mahkachev (-265)

Mahkachev (27-1) vacated the lightweight belt to move up to welterweight, where he will take on champion Della Maddalena (18-2). Makhachev has finishes in eight of his last nine fights, and gave up the 155-pound belt after a first-round submission of Renato Moicano in January 2025.

Makhachev, like trainer Khabib Nurmagomedov and other Dagestani fighters, can smother you with their wrestling, although Mahkachev has improved his striking. But Della Maddalena is an excellent boxer with fantastic footwork. He’s not going to stand in front of Makhachev, who would love to just get this fight down to the mat.

The UFC 322 odds are stacked towards the former lightweight champion, but Makhachev has never fought at welterweight, so that’s something to watch. Della Maddalena’s takedown defense is around 70%, and he was only taken down three times out of nine against Belal Muhammad when “JDM” took the belt in May 2025.

I’m leaning towards Mahkachev’s UFC 322 odds at -265 here as he’s going to be more persistent in his takedown attempts than Muhammad. If Mahkachev wants to stand and strike with Della Maddalena, it’s not going to end well for him. I do think this fight goes the distance, but Islam Mahkachev will do just enough to become the UFC’s next two-division champion.

• Valentina Shevchenko (-118)
• Zhang Weili (+100)

This match between Shevchenko (25-4-1) and Weili (26-3) has the potential to be the “Fight of the Night” at UFC 322. Shevchenko is a two-time and current women’s flyweight champion, and her 11 wins are the most in the history of the division. Meanwhile, Weili is a two-time strawweight champion is moving up in weight. Like Makhachev, she also vacated her belt for this chance. These are, easily, two of the best women’s MMA fighters ever!

Shevchenko dominated Alexa Grasso in their September 2024 trilogy match to regain the belt, but she did have some trouble with Manon Fiorot in May 2025. Fiorot was able to push Shevchenko up against the cage and take her down. I’m not sure that Weili will be able to do the same, having never fought at flyweight. She’s added more wrestling into her game, but Weili is more of a striker, which would be right up Shevchenko’s alley.

Weili certainly has a chance, and “Magnum” could pull off the slight upset. Shevchenko isn’t the force she used to be, but I think she’ll use her 2.5-inch reach advantage to keep Weili on the outside. Let’s put Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko in our UFC 322 predictions at -118!

• Carlos Prates (-197)
• Leon Edwards (+163)

This is a huge welterweight match for both men. Prates (22-7) is ninth in the UFC rankings at 170 pounds, while Edwards (22-5, 1 NC) is fourth. However, Edwards is a former champion in need of a win after two straight losses.

The manner by which Edwards lost to Sean Brady in March 2025 is alarming. He was fighting in England, at home, in the headline slot, and “Rocky” laid an egg. He was outstruck 221-23 and taken down five times in seven attempts before Brady mercifully submitted him in the fourth round. Prates has won 12 of his last 13 fights, losing only to Ian Machado Garry. But the “Nightmare” acquitted himself well, and won at least two rounds.

I’d love to give the former champ the benefit of the doubt, but before his resounding loss to Brady, Edwards lost the belt to Muhammad and was handled effortlessly. I think Edwards may have peaked, and Prates is on his way up the rankings at 170 pounds. Let’s take the Brazilian at -197 in our UFC 322 picks!