Overview
- Welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena defends against former lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev on Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden.
- Betting markets list Makhachev as the favorite (around -275 on Bet365), with Della Maddalena priced as the underdog near +225.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov said Makhachev completed 11 weeks of hard training and has been adding size throughout 2025 for the move to 170 pounds.
- Israel Adesanya predicted a Della Maddalena knockout, while a BJPenn.com survey showed several pros backing the champion despite the betting line.
- Makhachev has stated he aims to capture the welterweight belt and pursue a defense tally surpassing Kamaru Usman, with Usman mentioned as a preferred opponent if he wins.