Overview
- Islam Makhachev challenges Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title at UFC 322 on Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden after vacating his lightweight belt earlier this year.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov said he wants Makhachev to continue at 170 pounds, citing his age and the difficulty of staying in one division long term.
- Jack Della Maddalena said he intends to "put him back in his place" and prove Makhachev is a lightweight, embracing underdog status in his first title defense.
- Head coach Javier Mendez praised Makhachev’s preparation, calling this his best camp and emphasizing his strength and focus for the move up in weight.
- Chael Sonnen questioned Ilia Topuria’s rise over Makhachev in recent pound-for-pound rankings, arguing the change was driven by optics rather than results.