On November 15th at Madison Square Garden, UFC 322 delivers a blockbuster: Australian welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena (18-2) defends his title against former four-time lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Both fighters have vacated belts to face a new challenge – Makhachev moved up from 155 lbs, while Della Maddalena, the star of Sydney’s Scrappy MMA, brings a 9-0 UFC record and a reputation as one of the sport’s most explosive strikers. The card also features a flyweight title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili, underscoring the stakes of this return-to–NYC event.
Jack Della Maddalena – The Aussie Striker
Della Maddalena is a born fighter with precision striking. A protégé of coach Ben Vickers, the calm Perth-born 29-year-old has refined his boxing into a razor-sharp jab and punishing leg kicks. Vickers recalls the teenager who walked into his gym: “quiet, softly spoken, unassuming” – until the cage door closed, and “he was an absolute animal”. Today Della’s 18-2 record features 12 knockouts; he pulverizes opponents at a blistering 6.84 significant strikes per minute. His rapid-fire combinations and body attacks powered him past Belal Muhammad for the belt in May 2025, and he has added wrestling drills and scrambling to his game. The champion insists he won’t get sucked into defending on the ground all night. As Della himself put it, his “perfect fight” is to “keep [Makhachev] on the outside and ping him… stay away from the wrestling, keep him on the feet and just outclass him on the feet”. In press camp he even smiled that if Makhachev loses, fans will say he’s “just a lightweight… sending him packing back to 155 pounds”. Underestimation fuels his fire; as the champion noted, the underdog label gives him “more motivation… drive to prove I’m the champion”.
Islam Makhachev – The Dagestani Technician
Trained by Khabib Nurmagomedov’s late father Abdulmanap and former AK team mate Javier Mendez, the 34-year-old former lightweight king boasts world-class sambo wrestling and suffocating top control. His 27-1 record (only knocked out early in his career) includes 13 submissions, testament to relentless groundwork. Remarkably, Makhachev is not just a grappler – he has sharpened his striking under coach Khabib and lands 2.6 significant strikes per minute – but his gameplan is clear. He chains 3.2 takedowns every 15 minutes and mixes in ferocious ground-and-pound. Physically, Makhachev cut less than 10 kilos to make welterweight, and he credits that with a new vigour. “My life changed when I changed the weight division… Now I can enjoy my camp, eat whatever I want, and just smile and train… At 155, it was always difficult,” he told ESPN. Fresh and heavier in the cage, Makhachev aims to become a two-division champ and has even speculated about a White House event matchup beyond UFC 322.
Collision Course: Strikes vs. Wrestling
This fight is pure striker vs. grappler, light vs. heavy – styles famously at odds. Della Maddalena will jab off his rear hand, dart in with kicks and counterpunches, and circle away from pressure. He has said he prepared extensively with wrestling coach Craig Jones to improve scrambles. Makhachev will sniff out a takedown – likely late in the rounds – and once in top position he’ll unload elbows and transitions for submissions. Ben Vickers has boasted that his fighter “will beat whoever you put in front of him” and even suggested that Della will spoil Makhachev’s streak, but analysts caution that Islam’s “well-rounded game” and 18 career stoppages loom large. If Della’s legendary cardio and footwork keep the fight upright, he will tag the harder shots. If he hits canvas, he’ll face relentless pressure. Either outcome seems likely to produce fireworks.
Prediction and Outcome
The consensus odds make Makhachev a heavy favourite, reflecting his dominant résumé, but Jack’s supporters believe the sport needs watching before crowning a new double-champ. In our reckoning, Makhachev has more finish tools: even CBS analyst Brian Campbell notes Makhachev’s “technical advantages” and finishing prowess (18 stoppages in 27 wins). Yet Della’s punching power and improved takedown defence (honed against Muhammad and in camp drills) will keep him dangerous. If Della can evade Makhachev’s late flurries and counter cleanly, the upset is on the table – he’d turn the narrative upside-down. But barring a catastrophic mistake, we lean on Makhachev to grind out a win, probably via decision or late submission. The Dagestani’s wrestling should prevail over five rounds; Jack will make him earn it, but history and skill suggest Islam Makhachev will emerge with the victory.
Sources: Pre-fight analyses and stats from MMA news outlets:
