Saturday night, UFC 322 is taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York City! This card is stacked with five elite matchups on the Main Card, with two massive title bouts at the top. Islam Makhachev and Zhang Weili are attempting to become two-division champions as they take on Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko.
Here are my three best bets for Saturday’s UFC 322 PPV.
Jack Della Maddalena Moneyline (+230)
The reigning and defending Welterweight Champion, Jack Della Maddalena, is a +230 underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook against former 155-pound king, Makhachev. Yes, Makhachev is an excellent fighter and presents problems for the champion, but JDM recently proved against Belal Muhammad that he can excel against a dominant fighter on the ground.
JDM has won 18 consecutive fights and hasn’t suffered a loss since 2016. Della Maddalena is an unbelievable striker, and the stats back it up. He averages 6.84 significant strikes per minute, which is the second most in UFC Welterweight history.
With JDM’s elite takedown defense (69%), he has the tools to disrupt Makhachev’s elite takedown ability. If we see the version of Della Maddalena that beat Muhammad, he has a great chance to become the first fighter to defeat Makhachev since 2015.
Valentina Shevchenko Moneyline (-135)
The “Bullet” returns for her 30th career MMA fight against the No. 2 women’s pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, Weili. Shevchenko is 10-2-1 in title fights in the UFC and is in the midst of her second title reign. Weili is moving up from the Strawweight division after winning four consecutive title fights.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the defending champion is a -135 favorite with Weili being a +114 underdog. Shevchenko has the physical advantages in this contest, as she is taller (5’5″ vs. 5’4″) with a three-inch edge in standing reach (66″ vs. 63″).
Weili is better on her feet as the bout favors Shevchenko on the ground. Shevchenko has a 60 percent takedown accuracy, which is impressive. If Shevchenko doesn’t allow Weili to get comfortable on her feet while mixing in takedowns, she should be able to retain her title.
Bo Nickal to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (+240)
Nickal is coming off the first loss of his career against Reinier de Ridder. Before this defeat, Nickal won the first seven fights of his MMA career, with six coming by finish. Nickal is still an intriguing and talented prospect in the UFC and has a chance at Madison Square Garden to remind everyone why he garnered so much hype.
In this matchup, Nickal is a -198 favorite, with his opponent, Rodolfo Vieira, listed as a +164 underdog. Vieira is a good fighter, but when Nickal is at his best, he is on a different level. Nickal lands over three takedowns per 15 minutes at a 53 percent rate. But in his first five fights, whenever he scored a takedown, he either finished his opponent with a submission or ground and pound.
Nickal needs a victory to get back on track, but he must do so in spectacular fashion to prove he still has a bright future. Getting Nickal to win by KO/TKO/DQ or submission at +240 is an excellent value play, considering his finishing ability.
