Islam Makhachev’s Manager Confirms Welterweight Title Outing Against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322

Ahead of UFC 311 and his historic fourth defense of the lightweight title, Islam Makhachev boldly declared that he would not retire from MMA without becoming a two-division champion, an achievement even his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, never pursued. While the dream seemed within reach, there was one major obstacle: the welterweight crown was, at the time was held by Belal Muhammad, who happened to be a close friend and training partner of Team Khabib.

Adding to the complexity, ‘The Eagle’ himself made it clear that if Muhammad defeated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, Makhachev would abandon his welterweight ambitions and continue defending his lightweight title. However, the Aussie spoiled those plans by dethroning the Chicago native and cleared the path for Makhachev to chase history. The Dagestani powerhouse later vacated his lightweight belt ahead of UFC 317, where Ilia Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira to claim the division’s throne. Now, with that chapter closed, the stage is finally set for Makhachev to take his shot at destiny, and potentially etch his name among the UFC’s all-time greats.

Ali Abdelaziz Predicts Islam Makhachev Will Annihilate Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322

The pieces of the puzzle are finally coming together. For months, fans have speculated whether Islam Makhachev’s long-awaited move to welterweight would actually happen this year. Now, his manager in the form of Ali Abdelaziz has potentially confirmed that the Dagestani will be making his 170lbs debut at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Abdelaziz left little room for doubt. When asked if November at MSG was still the target for a clash with Jack Della Maddalena, Abdelaziz responded confidently. 

“At the end of the day, the fight is done. But like I always respectful to the promotion, it’s their job. They didn’t announce the fight. But I know this, by the end of the year, Australia going to have no champions.”

ALSO READ: Khabib Nurmagomedov With Bold Islam Makhachev Career Claim

 

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Even Makhachev himself admitted earlier this summer that the Maddalena bout is almost agreed upon for November. Adding fuel to the hype, Khabib Nurmagomedov recently confirmed that Makhachev will indeed chase welterweight gold at UFC 322. Rumors are swirling about the rest of the card, too.

A potential superfight between Weili Zhang and Valentina Shevchenko for the 125lbs crown is being heavily discussed for the co-main event, though nothing is official yet. Meanwhile, a wild social media rumor claimed Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje was in the works for the same card. 

That speculation was quickly debunked by Spanish MMA media outlets, confirming the matchup is fake. Still, with Makhachev vs. Maddalena all but locked in and at least one more title fight expected, UFC 322 is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most anticipated pay-per-views of the year.

As it is rooted in tradition, UFC’s annual MSG card is perhaps the second biggest PPV of the year after the festivities of the International Fight Week. Last year, the card in November played host to Jon Jones defending his heavyweight championship against Stipe Miocic, which proved to be the duo’s retirement outing inside the Octagon.  

Moreover, it is important for Makhachev to fight at the end of the year. Coach Javier Mendez and Nurmagomedov recently announced that the Dagestani won’t be around for too long and has just 2 to 3 years of gas left in him. And with a superfight with Topuria and Khamzat Chimaev still looming in the background and an array of killers at 170lbs, Makhachev’s future is certainly a big challenge.