UFC 322 LIVE: Can Islam Makhachev turn into double champ? Russian faces welterweight king Jack Della Maddalena on big evening in New York

Here’s that Bo Nickal head kick KO from earlier – very similar to Leon Edwards’ famous finish of Kamaru Usman to win the belt… speaking of ‘Rocky’, he’s up next in a massive fight at welterweight against Carlos Prates to get back in the title picture.

The sixth fastest knockout in UFC lightweight history and that was a ridiculous start to the main card. Dariush landed a nice knee to the body but BSD replied with a left hand over the top that connected just behind the ear and sent his opponent face first to the mat. He landed another before Herb Dean could stop it. Nasty stuff.

A lovely little lightweight clash now between Dariush, who is always game, and Saint-Denis, another who has put on some absolute wars. There’s no doubting why the UFC have used this one as the curtain-raiser so let’s hope it delivers.

Carnage – and would you believe it – Dillon Danis was in the thick of it.

An interesting stat thrown up on the broadcast is that those male fighters who have gone for double champion status have a significant losing record overall. Can Makhachev prove himself one of the exceptions?

JAMES COHEN IN NEW YORK: My word. What a finish from Bo Nickal and what a way to bounce back from defeat last time out. That was reminiscent of Leon Edwards’ infamous KO against Kamaru Usman back in 2022. MSG is buzzing now – bring on the main card!

The rippling muscles of the Brazilian aren’t just for show it seems – a one-sided win for one of the best nicknamed fighters in the UFC on these pre-lims.

Final pre-lim fight up next and it’s a big one for Bo Nickal. After suffering the first loss of his career last time out, the 29-year-old steps in tonight with something to prove. There’s a real buzz as he makes his walk, with fans curious to see how he responds under the spotlight. The main card energy is already creeping in.

A style mismatch, Makhachev moving up in weight, Della Maddalena’s first defence – there are so many factors to consider tonight when making your prediction for the main event. Here’s how the bookies see it…

Erin Blanchfield just swept aside Tracy Cortez and it’s a win that in all likelihood sets her up for a title shot in the near future. She got the fight to the ground, which is very much her wheelhouse, and locked in the submission. An absolute terror on the ground and she proved it again.

Matheus Camilo def. Viacheslav Borchev by decision

Baisangur Susurkaev def. Eric McConico by KO

Fatima Kline def. Angela Hill by decision

Pat Sabatini def. Chepe Mariscal by decision

Kyle Daukaus def. Gerald Meerschaert by submission

Our man is in the arena tonight and soaking up the early atmosphere –

‘With the prelims underway, the arena is starting to roar to life. Fans are dialled in early, reacting to every exchange, and that familiar fight-night buzz is spreading fast. If it’s this loud now, the main card could blow the roof off.’

Malcolm Wellmaker vs Ethyn Ewing

Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira

Roman Kopylov vs Gregory Rodrigues

Erin Blanchfield vs Tracy Cortez

Main card:

Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev

Valentina Shevchenko vs Zhang Weili

Sean Brady vs Michael Morales

Leon Edwards vs Carlos Prates

Beneil Dariush vs Benoit St Denis

That boxing earlier was just the warm up act wasn’t it? This is the hardcore stuff so don’t think about heading to bed just yet. UFC 322 is the most stacked MMA card of the year, topped with a brilliant showdown between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev, plenty of build-up to that to come.

We’ll be there every step of the way so follow along for live updates of every fight at Madison Square Garden in New York.