Islam Makhachev teases potential timeline for Jack Della Maddalena fight 

Islam Makhachev confirmed that negotiations are nearly done for his welterweight title clash against Jack Della Maddalena.

Speaking during UFC Abu Dhabi, Makhachev said the bout is “90 percent” finalized and likely to take place in November. While the UFC hasn’t officially announced UFC 322, the promotion traditionally holds a major card at Madison Square Garden during that month. Makhachev said:

“We’ve almost agreed on everything. There’s a 90 percent chance the fight happens in November.”

Check out Islam Makhachev's comments below:

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Makhachev has been out of action since UFC 311, where he capped off his reign at 155 pounds with a fourth title defense against Renato Moicano. Since vacating the belt, he’s been bulking up for his move to welterweight.

The matchup was set up after Della Maddalena edged out Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 to claim the welterweight strap. Khabib Nurmagomedov has called the Australian fighter the toughest fight of Makhachev’s career. According to Nurmagomedov, the new welterweight champion offers more problems than Ilia Topuria, who currently holds the lightweight belt.

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Islam Makhachev’s coach backs Khabib Nurmagomedov's call on toughest challenge yet

Javier Mendez didn’t mince words when assessing what lies ahead for Islam Makhachev. The longtime American Kickboxing Academy coach echoed Khabib Nurmagomedov’s belief that Jack Della Maddalena is the most dangerous opponent Makhach has faced.

Mendez called it their toughest test, not just for the fighter but for the team behind him. The approach to this camp will be built on precision, unpredictability, and full commitment to the game plan.

Speaking in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Mendez said:

"I'm going to have to one million percent agree with Khabib, I think this is our toughest test. This is my and Khabib's biggest responsibility to make sure we get Islam in tip-top shape and ready to do what we think." [H/t: MMA Junkie]

He added:

"I think what makes JDM so dangerous is he's unbeaten for quite a while. He's had quite a long win streak, and the fact that this guy mixes it up extremely well. He goes to the body, to the head, and he doesn't just stick to head hunting. He mixes it all up. He goes body, punch, then the kick comes. With him, his takedown defense is good also."

Check out the full interview below:

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar