Former champion weighs in on UFC 322 main event: 'This is a super fight'

Welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena (18-2) puts his title on the line for the first time in the UFC 322 main event on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. "JDM" takes on former lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev (27-1) who relinquished his 155-pound crown to move up and challenge for a second divisional championship. 

Former middleweight champion and UFC commentator Michael Bisping gave his analysis of the match and revealed his UFC 322 main event prediction on his YouTube channel. 

"This main event is incredible. Jack Della Maddalena on an 18-fight winning streak taking on Islam Makhachev, a man that only has one loss on his record," Bisping said. 

"This is billed as a striker versus a grappler, a boxer versus a wrestler, but the man's (Makhachev) got submissions, and he's got knockouts. Look what he did to Alexander Volkanovski. He knocked him out with a beautiful head kick, and no one was knocking out Alexander Volkanovski," Bisping continued. 

"What I'm saying is, Islam Makhachev can strike. He had moments as well against Dustin Poirier, who is one of the best strikers in the lightweight division. So, I don't think, even if it's on the feet, it's going to be easy for Jack Della Maddalena."

When he first looked at the matchup between Della Maddalena and Makhachev, Bisping thought Della Maddalena would win by knockout. Digging deeper, "The Count" changed this pick to Makhachev. 

"We've to got remember, Islam Makhachev was bred for this since he was a little boy. There's something different about him, about his team, about Khabib [Nurmagomedov], about Eagle MMA, about building that Nurmagomedov lineage, the heritage, and just the kind of fighting spirit these guys have. Islam Makhachev has been bred for this moment, and he's been in these big moments before," Bisping said.

"This is a superfight going down in Madison Square Garden, and this is Jack Della Maddalena's first defense. On Instagram last week I said that Jack was going to win, but now I think about it more," continued Bisping. "The more I thought about it the more I started to think Islam wins this fight."

"Jack Della Maddalena, I love this guy. He's a big guy. He's a strong welterweight. He's got good takedown defense. He's got beautiful boxing, but I just don't think it's his time. This is a superfight, and the magnitude of the event will play a factor," added the former middleweight champion. 

"It's a huge fight. There's a massive amount of media attention on this matchup as well. It is a true superfight because Islam Makhachev is going to be great and join the GOAT by becoming a two-weight division champion. 

"Will he do that? Will he join that very short list of fighters that were able to become double-champs? I say, yes. I think he beats Jack Della Maddalena. I think he finds a submission towards the end of the fight because that is what he does."