Is UFC 322 the most stacked card of the year? With Islam Makhachev chasing double-champ glory against Jack Della Maddalena in the main event, and Zhang Weili pursuing the same against Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main, it’s definitely shaping up to be the card of the year. Now, the Madison Square Garden crowd will witness even more action, as another stellar lightweight fight has been added to the lineup.

It’s not just the headliners that make this card special. The undercard looks very promising too, featuring Tracy Cortez vs. Erin Blanchfield and former welterweight champ Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates. However, the UFC only has four main-card fights scheduled for the MSG event, so the card will likely need a banger opener. It seems Dana White has already found the perfect matchup to kick off the main card. 

Benoit Saint-Denis vs Beneil Dariush gets added to the UFC 322 card  

Popular MMA social media account MMA Orbit posted on X, “Beneil Dariush will take on Benoit Saint Denis at #UFC322 on November 15th.” That’s how UFC 322 secures a top-10 lightweight matchup, which could set the tone early for the rest of the card. Currently, ‘The God of War’ sits at #13 in the lightweight division, while Dariush holds the 9th position. A win here would determine who climbs the ladder, but the pressure will be on ‘BSD’ to prove himself in this fight.

After making a stellar comeback at UFC Paris, the Frenchman said in his octagon interview, “I think if there’s a fighter in the top 10 who doesn’t have an opponent. If anything happens in the coming week, I’m ready to step in.” With that statement, Benoit Saint-Denis made his intentions clear. He wants a massive step up after derailing Mauricio Ruffy’s hype train. Dana White granted his wish by giving him a chance to star on one of the biggest cards of the year.

With this exciting lightweight matchup added, UFC 322 looks more entertaining than ever. However, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that some other fights on the prelims could capture the audience’s attention just as much, if not more. That naturally begs the question—which bouts are those?

3 sleeper fights in the Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena event  

In the prelims of UFC 322, there are some awesome fights to watch out for. Looking at the card, Bo Nickal’s name immediately stands out. After his UFC Des Moines loss to Reinier de Ridder, the former NCAA champ is eager to bounce back. But standing across from him will be the experienced Rodolfo Vieira, who would love nothing more than to spoil his return.

The Brazilian is coming off an impressive win over Tresean Gore in his last outing, and he has every tool to put Nickal in real danger. But if you think that’s the most high-stakes fight on the prelims, think again. The event opener between Gregory Rodrigues and Roman Kopylov screams violence. Both are among the most entertaining strikers in the middleweight division, and they’re more than capable of starting the show with a banger.

Lastly, UFC 319’s short-notice wonder, Baisangur Susurkaev, returns to face Eric McConico. The Russian went through an absolute war against Eric Nolan in his debut, and now he faces a second straight opponent with the same first name. It’ll be intriguing to see if he can go 2-0 in the promotion.

With that being said, what do you think about the UFC 322 card? Do you see it as the card of the year, or do you think December’s event will top it? Let us know in the comments below!