#ufc-322

#ufc-322

Those involved in the UFC 322 brawl earlier this month, including Dillon Danis, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, and "John Pork" (Magomed Zaynukov), are not off the hook just yet. Nurmagomedov and Zaynukov were among a small army of fighters who opted to jump Danis at the event at Madison Square Garden on November 15. The incident transpired years after Khabib Nurmagomedov attacked Danis follwing his UFC 229 main event, and came about as a result of trash talk the American had participated in online.

I like to say I'm a soldier. Whenever the UFC calls me, I'll be ready no matter what.

The UFC's annual trip to New York City is always a big one, and Saturday's UFC 322 was no exception. With two massive title fights topping the card, it wasn't hyperbole to say it was one of the biggest events of the year. More so for who was challenging for those titles than anything: Islam Makhachev had vacated his lightweight title to challenge for welterweight gold, while Weili Zhang had done the same at strawweight to land a fight with women's flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko.

Pound-for-pound supremacy is on the line in men's and women's MMA as UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena puts his title on the line against former lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev in the main event at UFC 322 in New York's Madison Square Garden. Della Maddalena is going for his first title defense, while Makhachev, who moved up for this opportunity, is competing in his sixth consecutive championship fight. Della Maddalena and Makhachev are ranked Nos. 8 and 2 in ESPN's men's P4P rankings, respectively.

I think he's the first striker for like four years I think. When you're fighting a striker you can flow a bit more. It's a more entertaining fight,

I've got to give Della Maddalena's coach, Craig Jones, his due here. The strategies and tactics Jones has developed will show up in this fight. Della Maddalena has better striking than most of the competitors Makhachev has faced, and he will have success on the feet. The longer this fight goes, the worse it will look for Makhachev. It might get ugly. -- Din Thomas

Yes, everyone asks me about that, but I don't see it this way. I don't feel this rivalry.

UFC 322 at New York's Madison Square Garden on Saturday features two former champions who've turned in their titles to chase new ones. It's the third such scenario this year, ushering in what feels like the post-double champion era. To understand how the UFC got here, Jeff Wagenheim looks back at the first double champion, and Dre Waters gives a statistical breakdown of two UFC 322 title fights and the trends to keep in mind heading into the weekend.