Overview
- The event is Saturday, Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden, with the main card on ESPN PPV at 10 p.m. ET, prelims on ESPNEWS/Disney+/ESPN App at 8 p.m. ET, and early prelims on Disney+/ESPN App at 6 p.m. ET.
- Della Maddalena, making his first defense since winning the belt in May, said he expects to be taken down but vows to get back up and force a full mixed martial arts fight.
- Makhachev, who vacated the lightweight title to move up, called this his toughest preparation and said he feels properly sized for 170 pounds after a three‑month camp.
- Odds favor Makhachev, yet opinions diverge: Muhammad Mokaev picks the challenger by submission, Israel Adesanya sees a path for a JDM knockout, and Henry Cejudo voiced new concern over Makhachev striking for extended stretches.
- Key dynamics frame the matchup as wrestling control versus striking and escapes, with Della Maddalena’s Craig Jones–guided grappling improvements and Javier Mendez’s extensive scouting underscoring the tactical stakes, while Valentina Shevchenko defends against the up-at-125 Zhang Weili in the co-main.