Mendez agrees with Makhachev on former five-time defending UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) being the ideal first title defense.

A respectful rivalry between welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev still required Dana White to keep a close eye on things after the fighters competing in the UFC 322 main event refused to break eye contact during a tense faceoff on Thursday.

Islam Makhachev will look to become a two-weight UFC champion on Saturday night. The former lightweight king will challenge welterweight titleholder Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Israel Adesanya thinks Islam Makhachev will get KO’d inside three rounds at Madison Square Garden.

After claiming the 170-pound belt from Belal Muhammad in May, Della Maddalena will need an underdog triumph to extend his winning streak to 19 fights. Makhachev, meanwhile, moves up after setting the record for most consecutive 155-pound title defenses,

UFC stars clash over legacy of Islam Makhachev as one boldly claims his success has nothing to do with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Although ‘The Eagle’ never ventured up in weight like Makhachev is in New York City this Saturday, ‘The Diamond’ branded Nurmagomedov as the stronger of the two Russian standouts. “Takedowns are different. Pressure is similar,” Poirier said regarding the styles of Nurmagomedov and Makhachev.

Islam Makhachev is not threatened by the idea of Craig Jones being a part of Jack Della Maddalena's camp for UFC 322.

Islam Makhachev is preparing for a major welterweight title fight. He spoke about his close ties with Khabib Nurmagomedov. A street in Khabib's villag