"At the top of the bill, Russia's Islam Makhachev moves up in weight to challenge Australia's Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title. Makhachev is ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound in the world and is already one of the most dominant champions of his era at lightweight. Makhachev has moved up to 170 lbs with a chance to become a two-division champion."
"Makhachev is from Dagestan, a Russian republic that has produced wave after wave of elite fighters, and this next step would solidify his case among the best of his generation. If he wins, it also sets up a potential crossover fight with Ilia Topuria, the current ranked No.1 pound-for-pound fighter, opening the door to a run at the first triple-division champ in UFC history, which could be the biggest fight of the decade."
UFC 322 takes place at Madison Square Garden with two title fights: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev and Weili Zhang vs. Valentina Shevchenko. New York lifted its decades-long MMA ban in 2016, and the Garden has since become a premier UFC venue; UFC 322 is the ninth Garden event. Makhachev moves up to 170 pounds chasing a two-division crown and a 15-fight win streak, one short of Anderson Silva's record. Della Maddalena makes his first title defense since May. A Makhachev win could set up a crossover with Ilia Topuria and a path toward historic multi-division achievements.
Read at www.amny.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]