UFC 322 lit up Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, delivering dominant championship performances and some violent finishes that shook up multiple divisions. At the end of the card, four fighters walked away with UFC 322 bonuses, each pocketing an extra $50,000 for their standout performances.
The night’s main event saw Islam Makhachev once again prove why he is the pound-for-pound king. The lightweight champion moved up to welterweight to face Jack Della Maddalena and made it look effortless.
Makhachev dragged the Aussie to the mat at will and smothered him for all 25 minutes, showcasing another complete, suffocating masterclass. With yet another dominant title win on his résumé, the big question now is: who’s left for Makhachev?
The co-main event wasn’t any different in terms of dominance. Valentina Shevchenko returned to reclaim the spotlight, overwhelming Zhang Weili in their women’s flyweight title fight. From sharp body kicks to airtight grappling control, Shevchenko barely absorbed damage through the entire bout. The performance instantly reignites the conversation about her GOAT status in women’s MMA.
After the belts were defended, the UFC confirmed the winners of the UFC 322 bonuses, and the fighters who stole the night wasted no time making their statements.
Bo Nickal delivered one of the best knockouts of the night, bouncing back from his first career loss with a vicious third-round head-kick finish over Rodolfo Vieira.
Benoit Saint Denis needed just 16 seconds to flatten Beneil Dariush in a shocking lightweight KO that electrified the Garden.
Carlos Prates stunned the crowd with a clean second-round knockout of former welterweight champion Leon Edwards, landing a laser-sharp straight left that shut the lights out on “Rocky.”
Michael Morales opened his night with violence, stopping Sean Brady via first-round TKO and re-establishing himself as a serious welterweight threat.
From title dominance to brutal knockouts, UFC 322 delivered exactly what fans expect from a stacked card at Madison Square Garden and these four fighters earned every bit of their bonuses.
