Khabib Nurmagomedov Claims Location Sent for Islam Makhachev’s Next Fight

If former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov is to be believed, his protégé’s next stage will be a massive one.

At a speaking event on Saturday in New York, Nurmagomedov went off script to possibly break some news, with video captured by the Cornell Combat Sports Show. According to the Dagestan native, Islam Makhachev will vie for the welterweight strap against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. He did not specific if the match would serve as the main attraction for the UFC’s annual Madison Square Garden event rumored for Nov. 15. Manager Ali Abdelaziz briefly protested, but “The Eagle” shut him down.

“Brother, they promise us. Be quiet, please,” he instructed the polarizing manager. “He’s now upset because I gave information. But this is his deal with UFC. I don’t deal with UFC. This is his problem. But we have deal. [Islam’s] gonna fight in Madison Square Garden, and they say yes.”

Move from Lightweight to Welterweight Expected in November

Makhachev vacated his lightweight title earlier this year with intentions of relocating to welterweight, as he wished to become a two-division champion. The organization did not permit him to keep his 155-pound crown to achieve this feat simultaneously, and Ilia Topuria picked up the vacant strap by laying waste to Charles Oliveira in June.

Nurmagomedov’s main training partner and pupil is riding a 15-fight win streak since his lone career loss in 2015 to Adriano Martins. The Russian first claimed the vacant throne by dispatching Oliveira at UFC 280 in 2022. He went on to defend it four times, breaking the UFC’s all-time record for consecutive defenses in his weight class.

Newly crowned welterweight kingpin Della Maddalena has not tasted defeat in 18 straight fights, as the Aussie dropped his first two outings in 2016 and never looked back. In the Octagon, “JDM” has finished five of his eight UFC wins, including four of them in the first round. Della Maddalena won the title in an upset over Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision at UFC 315 in May.

BREAKING NEWS: Khabib Nurmagomedov confirms Islam Makhachev will MAIN EVENT against Jack Della Maddalena at #ufc322 #Khabib #IslamMakhachev pic.twitter.com/3oJ23a5BVE

— The Cornell Combat Sports Show (@theMMMApodcast) August 3, 2025