It looks like Khabib Nurmagomedov has let the cat out of the bag. According to the former UFC champ, his longtime friend and protégé Islam Makhachev is set to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 322 — likely taking place at Madison Square Garden this November.
The idea of Makhachev at welterweight has been swirling for months, and now it looks like we’re getting the answer. During a casual sit-down, Khabib revealed that the UFC 322 headliner is locked in for November 15 in NYC, setting up one of the year’s most intriguing title bouts: a master grappler vs. one of MMA’s slickest boxers.
The timing is perfect. Ilia Topuria recently claimed the vacant lightweight crown at UFC 317 after Charles Oliveira fell short. That belt was vacated when Makhachev opted to pursue double-champ status, leaving the lightweight throne behind and setting his sights on gold at 170 pounds.
Della Maddalena, meanwhile, captured the welterweight strap with a gritty decision win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Their five-round slugfest solidified Della Maddalena as the top man in the division and a prime target for Makhachev’s next challenge.
Makhachev’s resume at lightweight is elite. He captured the belt at UFC 280 with a dominant submission over Oliveira and racked up four defenses, including two against Alexander Volkanovski, plus wins over Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano.
If this clash does land on the UFC 322 fight card, it could be one of 2025’s most technically rich matchups. A cerebral striker in Della Maddalena versus the most suffocating grappler of this era — and maybe, just maybe, a new double champ in the making.
