UFC 322: Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena Aims to Upset Pound-for-Pound King Islam Makhachev in Historic Title Clash

New York City prepares for a momentous night of mixed martial arts as UFC 322 headlines with a champion-versus-champion superfight that sees lightweight king Islam Makhachev challenging welterweight titleholder Jack Della Maddalena. While Della Maddalena enters the Saturday pay-per-view main event as the defending champion, he finds himself in the unusual position of being the significant underdog, with oddsmakers listing Makhachev as nearly a three-to-one favorite. This narrative positions Della Maddalena not merely as a champion defending his belt, but as a challenger to the prevailing perception of dominance, an opportunity he openly embraces.

Makhachev’s ascent to pound-for-pound king and his record-setting reign in the lightweight division form the primary storyline for UFC’s return to Madison Square Garden. The Dagestani phenom, a protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov, seeks to join an elite group of fighters to capture titles in two separate weight classes, a feat that would solidify his claim as one of the sport’s all-time greats. His recent achievements include surpassing legends like Nurmagomedov, B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar, and Benson Henderson for the most consecutive lightweight title defenses before vacating his belt to pursue the welterweight challenge. This impressive resume, however, has cast a considerable shadow over the accomplishments of the reigning welterweight champion.

"I’ve got everything to prove. But I like it that way," Della Maddalena stated in an interview with MMA Fighting, acknowledging the prevailing sentiment. "It gives me more motivation. A lot of drive to prove I’m the champion and then solidify my spot as the top guy. I’m definitely the underdog. I feel like a little bit I’m being written off. Come fight night, and after the fight, I think there’s going to be a lot of different opinions on it." His words reflect a fighter keenly aware of the external expectations, yet resolute in his belief in his own capabilities.

The perceived "lack of respect" for Della Maddalena, despite his championship status, stems partly from his relatively nascent tenure as welterweight king. His championship victory over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 was a convincing performance, but Muhammad’s often grinding style and polarizing public persona may have inadvertently diminished the recognition of Della Maddalena’s decisive win. In stark contrast, Makhachev’s career has been characterized by dominant performances against a murderers’ row of lightweight contenders, culminating in a legacy that resonates deeply within the MMA community.

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The tactical battle at UFC 322 is widely anticipated to revolve around the clash of styles: Makhachev’s relentless, smothering grappling versus Della Maddalena’s sharp, powerful striking and evolving takedown defense. Makhachev’s Dagestani wrestling heritage typically presents a nightmare matchup for pure strikers, renowned for its ability to neutralize offensive output and control opponents on the ground. Della Maddalena, while naturally a larger man, has conceded that he anticipates no significant size advantage over Makhachev, who is making a 15-pound jump in weight. The challenge, therefore, is not merely about physical power but about controlling the fight’s terrain and tempo.

Insights from former opponents often provide crucial context. Dustin Poirier, who recently faced Makhachev in a lightweight title defense, highlighted the pivotal role of Della Maddalena’s takedown defense. "It’s all going to come down to the takedown defense of JDM," Poirier told MMA Fighting. "If he can get back up to his feet, if he can use the fence, or stay off the fence, use his boxing, I think he definitely could give Islam a lot of troubles in the center of the octagon. He’s a great striker. He’s big and powerful." This assessment underscores the belief that if Della Maddalena can dictate the striking exchanges, he possesses the tools to trouble the dominant lightweight champion.

A key element in Della Maddalena’s strategy and preparation for Makhachev’s grappling assault lies in his collaboration with Craig Jones, the esteemed two-time ADCC silver medalist and one of modern Jiu-Jitsu’s most innovative minds. Jones’s influence on Della Maddalena’s grappling evolution is seen as a potential game-changer, redefining how the welterweight champion might handle the relentless pressure of Makhachev. This development has swayed the opinions of several notable figures within the sport. American Top Team coach Din Thomas and welterweight contender Sean Brady, for instance, have publicly expressed their belief in Della Maddalena’s ability to pull off the upset, largely crediting Jones’s unique approach.

"He’s a breath of fresh air, and I’m with Brady on this one. I’m picking him to beat Islam," Thomas told MMA Junkie. "I think that Craig Jones is the answer in this… I think the answer lies within Craig Jones’ approach of blending in a jiu-jitsu style that these guys aren’t familiar with. We’ve seen it when Alexander Volkanovski fought Islam, and we’ve seen it when Jack fought Belal." Thomas’s reference to Alexander Volkanovski’s surprisingly resilient grappling defense against Makhachev, combined with Della Maddalena’s performance against Muhammad, suggests a pattern of successful adaptation to high-level grappling threats. In his fight against Muhammad, Della Maddalena successfully stuffed six of nine takedown attempts, but more importantly, he demonstrated an improved ability to scramble and avoid being held down, a facet Thomas attributes directly to Jones’s imprint on his game.

"I think Jack’s going to be very difficult to take down and hold down. He might be taken down, but I think he’s going to be very difficult to hold down if he gets taken down," Thomas elaborated, highlighting Della Maddalena’s growing comfort in transitional grappling. Beyond his defensive capabilities, Della Maddalena’s offensive striking remains a significant threat. "I think on the feet, he’s so precise. I think he loses the first two rounds possibly, but I think he comes back and does damage later in the fight," Thomas concluded, outlining a potential late-fight scenario favoring the welterweight champion.

Della Maddalena’s striking output was evident in his championship bout against Muhammad, where he landed 200 strikes over 25 minutes, bloodying his opponent. His longtime coach, Ben Vickers, believes that replicating this sustained pressure and brutality against Makhachev could expose a vulnerability that the lightweight champion has rarely faced. "I think Jack will knock him out," Vickers boldly predicted on Submission Radio. "He’s not used to taking damage. He’s not used to being in tough fights with someone pushing the pace, and he’s been knocked out before." This prediction carries weight, particularly given Poirier’s ability to trouble Makhachev on the feet in their recent encounter. If Poirier, in the twilight of his career, could find openings, a sharper, fresher striker like Della Maddalena could potentially achieve similar, if not greater, success.

Despite the oddsmakers’ clear preference for Makhachev, with a hypothetical fight against lightweight champion Ilia Topuria considered a pick’em by comparison, not everyone in the know shares the certainty of a Makhachev coronation. Notably, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev’s mentor and close friend, offered a surprising assessment. "I think Maddalena is the toughest opponent in Islam’s career," Nurmagomedov stated in a Russian-translated interview with Adam Zubayraev. "That’s my opinion, not Charles [Oliveira], no one else. None of those other fighters. Not even Ilia, if that fight were to happen. Maddalena is twice the size of Ilia. Taller, bigger, stronger legs, bigger frame. His boxing is just as good. And, in grappling, he scrambles really well if you’ve watched him. For me, if I were preparing Islam for either Ilia or Maddalena, I’d be more concerned about Maddalena." This rare and candid admission from Nurmagomedov underscores the serious challenge Della Maddalena presents, particularly his physical attributes and grappling resilience.

Makhachev’s coaching staff has evidently taken this warning to heart. Javier Mendez, Makhachev’s longtime coach, admitted to an unprecedented level of preparation for this bout. "Jack is such a tough customer that if we overlook him, which we haven’t. I’ve actually viewed Jack’s fight with Belal five times," Mendez told MMA Junkie, a rare statement from one of MMA’s most experienced minds. "I’ve never really done that. That’s how much I respect Jack."

Makhachev himself echoes his team’s respect for the reigning welterweight champion. His training camp for UFC 322 has been meticulously structured around Della Maddalena’s strengths, with Makhachev splitting time between Russia, Dubai, and New Jersey to secure optimal sparring partners and body types to simulate the challenge. "It’s going to be a hard fight, honestly," Makhachev acknowledged to MMA Junkie. "I saw his fight against Belal. He’s good, man. When he began fighting in the UFC, he had problems with wrestling, but now he’s improved because I’ve seen him training a lot with wrestlers and grapplers, and that’s why he’s champion right now. He’s good everywhere. But we will see who’s the best fighter in the world very soon."

The stage is set for a high-stakes encounter that will either see Islam Makhachev further cement his legacy with a second divisional title or witness Jack Della Maddalena solidify his welterweight reign by felling the sport’s pound-for-pound king. The contrasting narratives, expert insights, and meticulous preparations from both camps promise a compelling main event at UFC 322.