Exclusive: Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena ‘Hard to Predict,’ Says Former UFC Fighter Diana Belbita

Former UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is looking to cement his place atop the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, with an upcoming welterweight title clash against Jack Della Maddalena. 

The fight headlines UFC 322 this Saturday at Madison Square Garden. 

Former UFC competitor-turned-analyst Diana Belbita shared her thoughts on the highly anticipated title fight and Makhachev’s move up to welterweight. Based on Makhachev’s record-setting lightweight title reign and Della Maddalena’s evolution as a striker, the fight promises to be an intriguing clash of styles. 

In an exclusive conversation, produced in collaboration with The Game Plan, Belbita, now an analyst for Canadian outlet Sportsnet, broke down the fight in terms of the striker vs. wrestler narrative, Makhachev’s move up from 155 pounds to 170 pounds, and the familiarity between both fighters’ camps. 

Belbita admitted that she initially expected a dominant win for Makhachev. However, after taking a deeper analytical look, her perspective shifted. 

“If you would have asked me before I started working as an analyst, I would have told you Islam Makhachev is gonna win it easy,” Diana Belbita told SportsBoom.com. 

“Now, because I learned to look a little deeper into those fighters in this situation, I can tell you that we have a few factors that change.” 

WILL ISLAM MAKHACHEV PERFORM BETTER AT WELTERWEIGHT?

Typically, fighters who move up a weight class are viewed as an underdog due to the size disadvantage, but Makhachev may be an exception. 

It’s well known that Makhachev cut a significant amount of weight to make 155 pounds. With that in mind, he may not be much smaller than Della Maddalena when they step inside the octagon at UFC 322. 

“A big question mark is actually if Makhachev can bring the speed and explosiveness that he has at 155-pounds to 170-pounds with the bigger opponents,” Belbita said. 

“Let’s not forget that Jack Della Maddalena is not the biggest 170-pounder. So it’s hard to predict this fight.” 

Makhachev previously admitted that cutting to lightweight took a physical toll, and he’s eager to compete at full strength at welterweight. Although the former lightweight champion is confident, Belbita questioned whether he can still execute his strategy. 

“I think it’s the classic clash of styles, the grappler vs. the striker,” she explained. 

“Makhachev is a different type of wrestler. He’s very explosive and very fast. But when you fight a weight class that’s 15 pounds heavier, it’s going to be a little bit different.”

“I’m not going to be surprised if Makhachev tries to strike more. The question is, is he going to be able to take Della Maddalena down?” 

Shared Insight

Although Makhachev and Della Maddalena will meet for the first time at UFC 322, they aren’t complete strangers. 

Makhachev successfully defended his lightweight championship twice against Alexander Volkanovski, one of Della Maddalena’s close friends.

‘JDM’ has reportedly gathered insight from Volkanovski ahead of this fight. In addition, he also publicly vowed to avenge his friend’s losses to the Dagestani. 

On the other side, Belal Muhammad, who Della Maddalena defeated to become champion, spent time training with Makhachev and his team, including UFC champion-turned-coach Khabib Nurmagomedov. 

Belbita believes Della Maddalena still holds a slight informational edge thanks to his connection with Volkanovski.

“If we talk about advantage based on the information that they get, Della Maddalena has a little bit of a small advantage there,” Belbita said. 

“Volkanovski faced Makhachev. He knew what he was doing during the fight, he saw those openings. Khabib is a coach, so he sees things from the side.” 

Still, Belbita emphasized that familiarity from mutual opponents won’t necessarily determine the outcome. 

“Does that small advantage count? How they react in a fight, their fight IQ is very important. It’s based on how they manage their fight, so their fight IQ is going to play a major role,” she concluded.