Potential matchups for some big names after UFC 322

Islam Makhachev defends at the White House

Makhachev said in his post-fight interview that he would like to fight next at the White House in June. Makhachev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz told the media that Makhachev wants to fight former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

This fight would be a wrestling clinic. Usman was able to go three tough rounds against middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. The issue with the Usman matchup is that he is currently 38 and has had an extensive injury history. 

There are plenty of other welterweight contenders that could be a tougher and more entertaining fight for Makhachev. If Usman doesn’t work out a great challenger would be undefeated Michael Morales. He is a polished striker and just defeated top contender Sean Brady with a quick TKO. He is a heavy hitter and has a strong anti-grappling base. 

Zhang Weili challenges Mackenzie Dern to take back her strawweight belt

Weili was humbled in her fight against reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Weili was controlled the whole time and was not able to get up from Shevchenko’s wrestling. Weili didn't win a single round losing by a unanimous 50-45 decision.  

Trying to obtain the second belt didn’t go as planned. Weili should go back down to strawweight and challenge Dern to get her belt back. Dern obtained the strawweight belt at UFC 321 after Weili vacated for this fight at UFC 322. Weili is a more advanced striker than Dern, so it would be fun to see a great grappler like Dern go against an elite striker like Weili for the title.

Carlos Prates fights Shavkhat Rakhmonov

Prates did the unthinkable in giving Leon Edwards his first loss by knockout. Prates will surely move into the top five of the welterweight rankings and position himself very close to a shot at the title. 

In a very competitive division, it seems unlikely that Prates will get the immediate shot, especially since he took a loss earlier in the year to Ian Garry. One more fight would solidify his claim for a shot at the title. 

Taking on the undefeated Rakhmonov would make a ton of sense for Prates. If he is able to beat the undefeated “boogeyman” of the division, Prates would be undeniable for a shot against Makhachev. Rakhmonov is a very similar fighter to Makhachev. Both great grapplers with above average striking. 

Rakhmonov was in line for the title before injuries. Since he will have been out more than a year when he returns, he will need another fight before a title shot as well. Prates didn’t take much damage against Edwards, this bout could easily be made early in 2026.

Bo Nickal gets a shot at the top 15

Nickal had his hype train take a detour after a to loss to Reinier de Ridder early in 2025. At UFC 322 as the featured prelim bout, he dominated Rodolfo Vieira on the feet and on the ground. Ending the bout with an amazing head kick knockout. He looked much more complete than he had in past fights. 

An entertaining bout could be Nickal v. the No. 12 ranked middleweight Roman Dolidze. Dolidze is coming off a submission loss to Anthony Hernandez. Both Nickal and Dolidze are phenomenal grapplers. It would be a great fight on the ground. Dolidze also has vicious clinch knees which were Nickal’s Achilles heel in his fight against de Ridder. This would be a big test for Nickal and he could show he is deserving of a top 15 spot in the division.