Makhachev vs Della Maddalena: UFC 322 fight card, start, odds, how to watch

Mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Islam Makhachev volition instrumentality a changeable astatine winning his archetypal rubric successful the welterweight part erstwhile helium takes connected reigning champion Jack Della Maddalena astatine UFC 322.

Makhachev’s past UFC combat was successful January erstwhile helium defeated Renato Moicano by submission to successfully support his lightweight rubric belt, which helium archetypal won successful 2022.

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Four months later, the Russian combatant vacated the lightweight rubric and boldly announced his determination to determination up a value people and situation Australia’s Della Maddalena successful 1 of the astir eagerly awaited UFC fights connected the 2025 calendar.

Here’s what you request to cognize astir UFC 322:

When does the UFC 322 combat start?

• The Della Maddalena-Makhachev main lawsuit volition beryllium held connected Saturday astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York City.
• The five-fight main paper is scheduled to statesman astatine 10pm (03:00 GMT connected Sunday) with the ringing locomotion for the Della Maddalena-Makhachev bout not expected earlier 11:30pm (04:30 GMT connected Sunday).

• The four-fight preliminary paper begins astatine 8pm (01:00 GMT connected Sunday).

Why did Makhachev power from lightweight to welterweight?

Makhachev, a four-time defending lightweight champion, vacated the loop successful May to determination up to the welterweight classification.

The Russian told ESPN that it was hard to chopped value for the 155lb (70kg) lightweight people and it affected his show and recovery.

“My beingness changed erstwhile I changed the value division. All my life, I had to deliberation astir what I eat. … Now I tin devour immoderate I privation and smile.”

“At 155lb, it is truthful difficult. … Now, I americium precise excited to spot however I consciousness successful the cage,” helium said.

Della Maddalena vs Makhachev – a opposition successful warring styles

Della Maddalena is simply a disciple of Brazilian jujitsu and trains nether the renowned Australian manager Ben Vickers. Not surprisingly, Della Maddalena excels astatine almighty yet close punching and kicking to the assemblage and face. He is simply a lethal striker connected the counterattack.

Vickers, successful a caller interrogation with Fox Sports, insisted his charger volition soundlessness the galore doubters who judge Makhachev and his trademark grappling-wrestling inheritance volition beryllium excessively overmuch for the Australian.

“He’ll conscionable support connected turning up to bushed whoever you enactment successful beforehand of him,” Vickers said.

“He’s conscionable taken Belal Muhammad’s streak. Next, he’ll instrumentality Islam’s streak. Then it volition beryllium [fellow welterweight contender] Shavkat Rakhmonov’s streak. He’ll instrumentality them all.”

Makhachev’s trademark benignant – which has been honed nether the tutelage of legendary ex-UFC rival Khabib Nurmagomedov – is built connected a satellite people wrestling and grappling foundation. He is besides an underrated striker of opponents.

His superb ground-and-pound attack, which helium asserts aft gaining apical control, wears down his opponents and often results successful submissions.

Islam Makhachev asserts power implicit Dustin Poirier connected the canvas during UFC 302 successful Newark, New Jersey, connected June 2, 2024 [Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports via Reuters]

Della Maddalena-Makhachev: What are the betting odds?

Della Maddalena volition commencement arsenic a dense underdog against Makhachev with the bookmakers.

The likelihood person Makhachev marked arsenic the -275 favourite astatine Bet MGM successful the United States with Della Maddalena astatine +225.

Similarly, bookmakers extracurricular the US person the Russian priced astatine $1.36 for the triumph with Della Maddalena a agelong changeable for the triumph astatine $3.25, according to Bet365.

Will Donald Trump be the fight?

At this stage, it is chartless whether US President Donald Trump volition be UFC 322 successful the metropolis wherever helium was calved and spent astir of his life.

Trump attended the past large UFC lawsuit successful the country – UFC 316 – connected June 7 successful Newark, New Jersey, conscionable crossed the Hudson River from New York.

The 79-year-old’s relation with the UFC dates backmost to 2001 erstwhile helium hosted 2 events successful New Jersey.

If Makhachev beats Della Maddalena, volition helium combat Topuria?

Ilia Topuria and Makhachev, ranked fig 1 and fig 2 connected ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings, are wide considered the apical MMA fighters successful the world, and Topuria has already said helium would determination up different value people to look Makhachev astatine the 170lb (77kg) welterweight bounds if the Russian beats Della Maddalena.

Both fighters person agreed that if the bout occurs, past the much-hyped UFC lawsuit astatine the White House successful June would beryllium the perfect venue for staging what would beryllium considered the biggest container bureau UFC contention since the memorable Nurmagomedov-Conor McGregor confrontation successful 2018.

“I saw the [Charles Oliveira] fight; [Topuria,] he’s good,” Makhachev told ESPN. “I person a bully combat now, and I cognize [Topuria] is going to combat soon, and we’ll spot what’s gonna happen. He wants to combat astatine the White House, and I besides privation to beryllium there. I cognize the UFC wants to bash immoderate large combat successful the White House. Which combat is going to beryllium bigger than this?”

The UFC has not announced immoderate fights for the White House lawsuit though Trump has said it would instrumentality spot connected June 14.

UFC lightweight rubric holder Ilia Topuria mightiness beryllium the adjacent challenger for Makhachev if helium tin instrumentality the welterweight rubric from Della Maddalena astatine Madison Square Garden [File: Aldara Zarraoa/WireImage via Getty Images]

Who is Islam Makhachev?

• The 34-year-old combatant from the Dagestan portion of Russia is 1 of the biggest names successful MMA acknowledgment to his three-year undefeated streak arsenic the UFC lightweight champion.
• A protege and adjacent person of UFC fable Nurmagomedov, whose father, Abdulmanap, trained some Dagestani men, Makhachev made his MMA debut successful 2011 and signed his archetypal declaration with the UFC 3 years later.
• The southpaw is renowned for his beardown grappling skills and an awesome striking accuracy (59 percent) with a scope of 70 inches (178cm). During his much than decade-long vocation successful the UFC, Makhachev has established himself arsenic a fable successful the lightweight division, having successfully defended his loop connected 4 occasions.
• Makhachev, who precocious vacated the UFC lightweight rubric to determination up, is connected an unthinkable tally of 15 consecutive UFC wins dating backmost to October 3, 2015, erstwhile helium mislaid the lone nonrecreational combat of his MMA vocation against Adriano Martins of Brazil.

Islam Makhachev volition beryllium the favourite heading into Saturday’s blockbuster clash against Della Maddalena [File: Per Haljestam-USA Today Sports via Reuters]

Who is Jack Della Maddalena?

• Maddalena, besides known by his initials JDM, is from Perth, Australia, and is simply a achromatic loop successful Brazilian jujitsu.
• He stands 5ft, 11 inches gangly (1.8 metres) and his existent warring value is listed astatine 77kg (170lb).
• He is undefeated successful 18 consecutive MMA fights dating backmost to May 28, 2016.
• The 29-year-old became the caller UFC welterweight champion astatine UFC 315 connected May 10 erstwhile helium upset Muhammad astatine Bell Centre successful Montreal, Canada.
• He volition beryllium making his archetypal UFC rubric defence connected Saturday against Makhachev.

Jack Della Maddalena, right, strikes Belal Muhammad during their welterweight rubric bout astatine the UFC 315 lawsuit astatine Bell Centre successful Montreal connected May 10, 2025 [Alexis Aubin/AFP]

What has Makhachev said astir the fight?

Saturday’s combat volition beryllium Makhachev’s sixth rubric combat successful a enactment but archetypal arsenic a challenger. In an ESPN interrogation connected October 27, the Russian broke down the Australian’s strengths and weaknesses.

“I watched each his fights. He is good. His striking is good. His boxing is precise good, you know. His wrestling not truthful bully but helium is bully connected the ground. He cognize however to defend, however to escape, however to get up, you know. He has bully skills connected the crushed also. … His striking is truly good. That’s wherefore helium is 1 of the champion successful the satellite close now.”

On moving up a value people to combat Della Maddalena:

“He is not similar immoderate feline who has brainsick power. … I don’t deliberation Jack has much than me.”

On Nurmagomedov’s pre-fight connection to him:

“It’s not a secret. He told me: ‘Take him down.'”

“I deliberation I tin decorativeness him connected the crushed – choke him, bash an limb barroom oregon something. I saw his skills are bully connected the ground. They are bully – but I person thing more.”

What has Della Maddalena said astir the fight?

The welterweight champ claims his grappling proficiency successful the octagon volition astonishment Makhachev:

“Probably successful his mind, helium thinks he’ll instrumentality maine down, immobilise maine oregon adjacent decorativeness me. But I person capable level to astonishment him connected the ground: strength, method and defences that we’ve been moving connected constantly. When helium plays astatine his highest level, I’ll beryllium capable to destabilise him. The cardinal is to enactment calm. People underestimate however disconcerting it tin beryllium for idiosyncratic to beryllium serene and focused. I deliberation a ample portion of the combat volition beryllium standing, and that’s wherever I tin astonishment him,” said Della Maddalena connected Mainevent TV.

Della Maddalena connected Makhachev moving up a value people to combat him:

“I deliberation it’s bully for him to determination up. It was evidently a large wake-up for him. He is evidently getting bigger, growing. I deliberation it’s a bully determination for him. I conscionable deliberation it’s atrocious timing,” helium said connected the New York Post Sports podcast.

Della Maddalena volition support his welterweight rubric for the archetypal clip connected November 15 [File: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images via AFP]

What’s Makhachev’s combat record?

• Fights: 28
• Wins: 27
• Loss: 1
• Knockouts: 5 wins, 1 loss
• Submission: 13 wins
• Decision: 9 wins

What’s Della Maddalena’s combat record?

• Fights: 20
• Wins: 18
• Losses: 2
• Knockouts: 12 wins, 1 loss
• Submission: 2 wins, 1 loss
• Decision: 4 wins

Stat Attack

• Makhachev – fig of days since his past defeat: 3,697 (October 3, 2015, to November 15)
• Della Maddalena – fig of days since his past defeat: 3,461 (May 28, 2016, to November 15)

Valentina Shevchenko, right, volition support her flyweight rubric astatine UFC 322 [File: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images via AFP]

Who is warring successful the co-main lawsuit astatine UFC 322?

In Saturday’s penultimate bout astatine UFC 322, women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko of Kyrgyzstan volition support her rubric against China’s Zhang Weili successful the co-main event.

Zhang, a erstwhile strawweight titleholder, vacated her loop and moved up a part to combat Shevchenko successful what promises to beryllium a fascinating contention betwixt 2 of the biggest pistillate stars successful the UFC.

What’s the afloat combat paper for UFC 322?

Main paper (10pm commencement | 03:00 GMT connected Sunday):

• Della Maddalena (Australia) vs Makhachev (Russia) – rubric bout
• Shevchenko (Kyrgyzstan) vs Zhang (China) – rubric bout
• Sean Brady (US) vs Michael Morales (Ecuador) – welterweight
• Leon Edwards (United Kingdom) vs Carlos Prates (Brazil) – welterweight
• Beneil Dariush (US) vs Benoit Saint Denis (France) – lightweight

Preliminary paper (8pm commencement | 01:00 GMT connected Sunday):

• Bo Nickal (US) vs Rodolfo Vieira (Brazil) – middleweight
• Roman Kopylov (Russia) vs Gregory Rodrigues (Brazil) – middleweight
• Erin Blanchfield (US) vs Tracy Cortez (US) – women’s flyweight
• Malcolm Wellmaker (US) vs Cody Haddon (Australia) – bantamweight

How to ticker UFC 322

Al Jazeera Sport volition person a live build-up and substance commentary stream for the combat from 01:00 GMT connected Sunday.

UFC 322 is simply a pay-per-view lawsuit and volition beryllium shown by assorted online streaming services, including ESPN+ successful the US, DAZN, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports.