UFC CEO Dana White has addressed the status of a potential welterweight clash between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena, a fight that has gained traction since Makhachev vacated his lightweight title to move up a division.
Makhachev’s move to 170 pounds prompted an immediate callout from Della Maddalena following his recent victory over Belal Muhammad. While Della Maddalena initially proposed the fight for a UFC event in his native Australia, scheduling conflicts prevented the matchup, as the promotion’s return is slated as a Fight Night card. In response, Makhachev has publicly campaigned for the high-profile bout to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York.
During a recent Instagram Live session, after announcing title fights including Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira 2 and Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane, White was asked by fans about the Makhachev matchup. “We’re working on Islam,” White stated. “We’ll have some Islam news soon.”
As speculation continues, Makhachev’s coach and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, has described the potential bout with Della Maddalena as the most dangerous challenge of Makhachev’s career.
Looking even further ahead, Nurmagomedov also speculated on who might be next for Makhachev if he were to defeat Della Maddalena.
“Who’s even left? There’s [Ian Machado] Garry, there’s Shavkat [Rakhmonov], there’s Kamaru [Usman],” Nurmagomedov said in a recent interview. “Let’s just imagine hypothetically [Islam wins], I think Kamaru might show up, might be an option. It’s either Shavkat or Usman.”
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