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Daniel Cormier Pushes Back on Islam Makhachev’s Heavy Favoritism Against Jack Della Maddalena Ahead of UFC 322

Originally posted on NY Fights | By Kshitiz Kumar Singh | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 4:11 PM ET

The UFC’s year-end schedule is locked in, with Dana White confirming a blockbuster welterweight title clash between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev at UFC 322. By now, fans know the backstory: Makhachev debated for months whether to stay at lightweight, where he defended his belt four times, or move up to 170 lbs. That hesitation faded when Della Maddalena dethroned Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, clearing the way for the Dagestani to vacate his lightweight strap and chase two-division glory. Riding a 15-fight win streak, Makhachev has opened as the betting favorite for the MSG blockbuster. But former double champion and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier believes the oddsmakers may be underestimating JDM.

Daniel Cormier Says Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena Is a Much Closer Fight Than Fans Think

Taking to his YouTube channel, Cormier broke down why the fight is far closer than many think. “If you’ve seen videos and pictures of Islam lately, he’s bigger, he’s much bigger. And he’s gonna have to be bigger if he wants to get through the monster that is Jack Della Maddalena,” Cormier said.

He also emphasized that Makhachev’s camp is fully aware of the JDM’s striking threat and that the Aussie has been sharpening his ground game with grappling ace Craig Jones.

“After watching him fight Belal Muhammad, after watching how wonderfully he put together a game plan, it’s a much more even fight than you would have thought prior,” Cormier noted. Looking at the current betting lines—Makhachev at -265 and Della Maddalena at +225, Cormier had some observations.

“I really think it’s interesting to find out what the world, or the oddsmakers, think of Islam vs Jack. Wow…Islam’s -265, Jack +225. That’s a little bigger than I would have expected.”

He wrapped up his thoughts by pointing to JDM’s natural size advantage and recent momentum. “I believe people will probably come in on Jack…’cause at the end of the day, Islam is still the smaller guy going up to the next weight class to fight against a world champion who never looked better than in his last fight.”

And it seems that Cormier wasn’t the only Hall of Famer surprised to see Makhachev being touted as such a massive favorite over Della Maddalena.

Michael Bisping cautions Islam Makhachev against trading punches with Jack Della Maddalena

If anyone understands what it means to thrive as a massive underdog, it’s Michael Bisping. After all, ‘The Count’ shocked the world at UFC 199, stepping in on just 17 days’ notice and knocking out Luke Rockhold to claim the middleweight title.

But when it comes to Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev, Bisping doesn’t see the Aussie as the underdog. In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, the former champion said, “The crazy thing is that Islam Makhachev is quite a sizable favorite. I think that’s a little bit disrespectful to Jack Della Maddalena.”

He weighed upon the Aussie’s own 18-fight win streak and 8-0 record inside the Octagon, not to mention his dominance against Muhammad at UFC 315. “The man’s on an 18-fight win streak, he just beat Belal Muhammad, he defended all the takedowns there, he’s beaten all the grapplers before,” he added. He ended his statement by warning Makhachev of the consequences if he tries to slug it out on the feet against the reigning 170lbs kingpin.

Michael Bisping is surprised that Islam Makhachev is the favorite over Jack Della Maddalena

“The crazy thing is that Islam Makhachev is quite a sizable favorite. I think that’s a little bit disrespectful to Jack Della Maddalena. The man’s on an 18-fight win streak, he just… pic.twitter.com/m4N4cG05jB

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 30, 2025

“If Islam were to stand with Jack, that would be a bad idea. Jack’s boxing and the footwork that’s associated with boxing are going to be very advantageous. Don’t be surprised if Jack gets it done.”

With Khabib Nurmagomedov already calling Della Maddalena the toughest test of Makhachev’s career, it will be interesting to see how the Dagestani performs at UFC 322 in November. Let us know your pick in the comment section below!

This article first appeared on NY Fights and was syndicated with permission.

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