Islam Makhachev is making the transfer as much as 170 pound to problem Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title at UFC 322 on Nov. 14 in Madison Sq. Backyard.
If Makhachev (27-1) is profitable in claiming the welterweight title, it will be his sixteenth consecutive victory within the Octagon, matching Anderson Silva’s UFC report, and he already has a most well-liked opponent and venue for what he hopes can be the record-breaking efficiency.
Makhachev lately informed ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that if we wins towards Della Maddalena, he desires to face Ilia Topuria (17-0) on the UFC’s upcoming White Home occasion on June 14.
“I noticed the [Oliveira] struggle; he is good,” Makhachev mentioned. “I’ve a superb struggle now and I do know [Topuria] goes to struggle quickly and we’ll see what’s gonna occur. He desires to struggle on the White Home, and I additionally wish to be there. I do know the UFC desires to do some large struggle within the White Home. Which struggle goes to be larger than this?”
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Makhachev will not be exaggerating when he says a struggle with Topuria can be among the many greatest UFC might make. Topuria took the light-weight title Makhachev vacated in a dominant efficiency towards Charles Oliveira to earn his second weight class title after beforehand holding the featherweight crown. Topuria additionally holds the highest spot in our UFC pound-for-pound rankings, with Makhachev ranked No. 3 by CBS Sports activities’ Brian Campbell.
Topuria has said he’d be keen to maneuver up once more to 170 kilos to make a struggle with Makhachev occur. That may take away the largest potential excuse from the fighters for the struggle not going down, permitting Makhachev to keep away from the load reducing that he cited as his purpose for shifting as much as welterweight.
Nonetheless, making mega-fights is all the time extra sophisticated than the 2 fighters stating publicly that they are excited about combating. That mentioned, if Makhachev takes care of enterprise in November towards Della Maddalena, there might be a ton of stress on Dana White and the camps for each fighters to get this struggle made for the principle occasion on the White Home subsequent June.
