Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Insider says welterweight Islam Makhachev is ‘making everyone feel like an amateur’ ahead of UFC 322

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 2:35 PM ET

The best Islam Makhachev to date is apparently headed for Madison Square Garden.

All eyes will soon turn to the MMA leader’s annual pay-per-view event in New York City, as UFC 322 takes place from the iconic venue on November 15.

The stakes will be high at the top of the card as two legends shoot to become two-division champions. After Zhang Weili battles flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko fresh off vacating her strawweight throne, Makhachev will challenge Della Maddalena in a bid to add the welterweight belt to his 155-pound crown.

Some have suggested that Makhachev is underestimating Della Maddalena ahead of their headlining showdown at MSG. But the Dagestani’s manager insists he has put in the work to ensure that he arrives in the Octagon better than ever.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Хабиб Нурмагомедов (@khabib_nurmagomedov)

Ali Abdelaziz teases that fans will see the best Islam Makhachev yet at UFC 322

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Ali Abdelaziz looked ahead to one of his fighter’s high-profile next outings and first in a new weight class.

The Egyptian manager has seen Makhachev’s preparation for his welterweight move behind the scenes firsthand, and he explained why he is so confident that the ex-lightweight king will get the job done come fight night at UFC 322.

“He is the best Islam. If Islam right now fought the old Islam, he’d beat him in the first round,” Abdelaziz said.

“He’s big, he’s strong, he’s healthy, he’s happy. He is not suffering (from) cutting weight, and he is very, very strong.

“He makes everyone feel like an amateur,” he added.

Islam Makhachev plans to stop at welterweight

Should Makhachev have his hand raised at UFC 322 and become the latest two-division champion, talk will inevitably turn to the potential for a history-making feat.

No fighter in the UFC has become a triple-weight champ thus far. And while his lightweight successor, Ilia Topuria, is targeting that achievement, Makhachev holds no interest in a third title.

“I dream of becoming and remaining a double champion, of going down in history as someone who has won two belts,” Makhachev recently told Match TV (h/t @ChampRDS via X).

“(A third belt)? I can’t eat that much anymore,” he added.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: