UFC 322 is shaping up to be the card of the year! It’s true that Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena, along with Zhang Weili and Valentina Shevchenko, will receive most of the spotlight from fans. And then there’s the amazing main card where Sean Brady and Leon Edwards are making their comebacks against two surging contenders, Michael Morales and Carlos Prates, respectively. So, the top half of the card is absolutely stacked. But that doesn’t mean the bottom portion is lacking firepower.

In the prelims of Madison Square Garden, fans will witness the return of Bo Nickal, who’s looking for redemption after his loss to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines, against an experienced Rodolfo Vieira. Then Tracy Cortez vs. Erin Blanchfield will collide in what’s possibly shaping up to be a women’s flyweight title eliminator. So, there are some genuinely high-stakes bouts that the promotion stacked in the prelims. And now, Dana White has added another one to that list — Matheus Camilo vs. Slava Borshchev in a lightweight clash, just one week out of the event. 

Dana White adds Matheus Camilo vs. Slava Borshchev lightweight fight at UFC 322 

Veteran journalist Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting posted on X: “Late addition to next week’s UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden: Matheus Camilo and Slava Borshchev will face off in a lightweight showdown, sources told myself and @MikeHeck_JR.”

At first glance, this fight might not seem like much for an event as stacked as UFC 322, but this lightweight matchup actually carries some serious stakes. Viacheslav Borshchev is currently on a rough skid, losing three of his last four fights. If he drops another one, that could be it for the Russian in the UFC. On the flip side, Matheus Camilo unfortunately had his last fight cancelled.

At UFC 321, Camilo was scheduled to face Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady, but just a few hours before weigh-ins, the matchup collapsed due to Al-Selwady’s undisclosed medical issue. Shockingly, it marked ‘The Pride of Palestine’s fourth withdrawal in a row. After that fallout, Camilo probably needs a paycheck, and that might be a big motivator for taking this fight on short notice.

So, while another high-stakes bout just got added to UFC 322, there was still one more fighter whose appearance seemed in doubt — but luck stayed on his side, and he’ll perform at MSG after all. Thanks to Ilia Topuria’s brother, Aleksandre Topuria’s canceled opponent. 

Aleksandre Topuria’s canceled opponent saves Malcolm Wellmaker’s MSG fight   

After winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Malcolm Wellmaker has proved to be one of the most exciting up-and-coming bantamweights in the promotion. He already knocked out Dricus du Plessis’s teammate Cameron Saaiman and Sean O’Malley’s former opponent Kris Moutinho, two very recognizable names. All while extending his undefeated record to 10-0.

Because of that momentum, Dana White planned to match him against Serhiy Sidey at UFC 322 on the prelims. But the Canadian fighter’s last-minute shoulder dislocation ruined the plan. However, Australian fighter Cody Haddon, who recently withdrew from his fight against Aleksandre Topuria at UFC 312, stepped in and accepted the matchup against ‘The Machine.’

With that, the UFC’s rising knockout star secured another fight, and he will indeed perform in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd on November 15th. Still, while fans are rightfully picking Wellmaker to deliver another knockout, it has to be recognized that Haddon isn’t a slouch. He already beat Dan Argueta in his last appearance and held the Hex Fight Series title before joining the UFC.

That said, what do you make of Dana White’s last-minute addition to the UFC 322 lineup? Do you think this event is going to be the card of the year? Let us know in the comments section below.