UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev - Who leaves the MSG as undisputed welterweight king?

The UFC welterweight division is one of the most exciting weight classes in the sport right now, with a host of world-class contenders and a brand new champion looking to cement himself as the division’s top dog.

Jack Della Maddalena captured the championship when he dethroned Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, and now he plans on establishing himself as the king at 170 pounds. 

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His first defence comes against one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters, with former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev relinquishing his 155-pound title to move up and go for gold at 170.

Tale of the tape: Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev

Jack Della Maddalena: Can Aussie striker box his way to victory over pound-for-pound star?

Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena earned his UFC spot via Dana White’s Contender Series back in September 2021, and he’s looked every inch a serious contender ever since.

A six-fight win streak saw “JDM” elevated into the mix at 170 pounds, and a fight with former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 299. Della Maddalena stopped Burns with strikes in the third round to earn himself a shot at the welterweight title at UFC 315 in May this year.

Tasked with the challenge of defeating reigning champion Belal Muhammad, Della Maddalena produced one of the best performances of his career to claim a unanimous decision victory over five rounds to capture the title. It extended his prodigious win streak to 18, with the last eight coming in the UFC.

Now Della Maddalena faces his next test as he looks to defend his UFC title for the first time against a man who is well-versed in fighting, and winning, championship bouts.

Islam Makhachev: Can former lightweight king reign in his new weight class?

Considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, Islam Makhachev has already conquered the world at 155 pounds. Now he’s looking to repeat the feat at 170.

Makhachev lost his second UFC fight against Adriano Martins, but other than that shock first-round KO defeat, he’s been perfect through his whole career. His record stands at an incredible 27-1, and includes victories in five consecutive title fights.

That run started when he defeated Charles Oliveira to capture the lightweight title at UFC 280, then continued through title defences against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (twice), Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano.

But now, with his challenges starting to run out at lightweight and the weight cut getting tougher, Makhachev has relinquished the lightweight crown and moved up a weight class in a bid to win UFC gold in another division.

He’ll challenge Della Maddalena this weekend as the betting favourite, but there are questions to be answered about just how he’ll fare against bigger, stronger, harder-hitting opposition.

Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev: The key factors

Makhachev has proved his big-fight temperament throughout his UFC career, so the occasion certainly won’t be an issue for him. 

He’s used to preparing for, and fighting in, five-round title fights where the stakes are highest, and he’s shone in those situations.

We don’t yet know as much about Della Maddalena’s big-fight temperament. He’s certainly fared well so far in his career and is on an impressive win streak, so it’s likely it won’t be an issue. 

But against Makhachev he’s facing the elite of the elite in the UFC, and he’ll need to be mentally bulletproof on a night where the pressure is on him to defend his belt.

Regardless of championship experience, the crucial factor in this fight is who controls where the fight takes place. Makhachev is used to being the bigger, stronger fighter who can bully his opponents, but against Della Maddalena, that might not be the case.

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“JDM” is taller, naturally bigger, and has a longer reach. And when it comes to pure striking, the Australian is much faster and more fluid than Makhachev, who has good striking, but not at the level of the welterweight champion.

The best route to victory for Della Maddalena lies in the stand-up, while for Makhachev, it resides on the mat. 

That means whoever can dictate where the fight goes should hold the aces in this fight. If Della Maddalena can prevent Makhachev from taking him down, the fight swings significantly in his favour. 

Makhachev has a dominant top game and excellent submissions, and if he can get the action to the mat, he has the ability to dominate.

FIRST.com’s top tip - Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev

Della Maddalena has excellent takedown defence and has outstanding stand-up skills. 

Those two factors, combined with him being a naturally bigger, harder-hitting fighter than those Makhachev has faced recently, give him the narrow edge in what could be a super-close contest. 

The odds are heavily in Makhachev’s favour, making “JDM” a live underdog pick to retain his title.

PICK: JACK DELLA MADDALENA TO WIN @ 9/4 (Ladbrokes)

Extra tips

Former undisputed welterweight champion Leon Edwards is a sizable underdog against Brazilian striker Carlos Prates in their 170-pound matchup. 

And, while Edwards has lost his last two, both came against wrestle-heavy opponents. 

This time he’s against a pure striker, and while Edwards has the stand-up skills to go toe-to-toe with his opposite number, it’s his own wrestling and mat skills that could prove decisive. 

The 17/10 odds represent excellent value on a world-class fighter whose form doesn’t reflect his chances of winning this fight.

PICK: LEON EDWARDS TO WIN @ 17/10 (Ladbrokes)

FIRST.com's recommended MMA betting sites ahead of UFC 322

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Odds correct at the time of writing.