3 UFC Stars Back Stunning Upset

On the 13th of November, at UFC 322, Jack Della Maddalena makes the first defence of his UFC welterweight title against one of the best MMA fighters on the planet, Islam Makhachev. The two clash inside Madison Square Garden, New York City.

One of biggest talking points coming into this blockbuster, is how Makhachev will adapt to fighting at 170 pounds, having previously beaten lightweight stars Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier. The welterweight division, though, is arguably the most stacked in the UFC, and Makhachev will no longer have as big a size and strength advantage while competing against welterweights, who may be even bigger.

Although Makhachev is a significant favourite, there are plenty of high-profile fighters who are backing Della Maddalena to shock the world and give the Russian his first loss in over a decade. UFC stars Max Holloway, Israel Adesanya, and Robert Whittaker, have all analyzed the fight, and you won’t want to miss what they had to say.

UFC Stars Back Della Maddalena to Beat Makhachev

Adesanya, who knows Della Maddalena well, claimed in a prediction video he uploaded to YouTube, that because of the Australian’s takedown defence and scrambling ability, Makhachev will “be forced to strike” and will inevitably “get hurt.”

In Holloway’s prediction, also on YouTube, he spoke about how he believes that when Makhachev gets hit, “it looks like it gets to him,” and when facing a volume striker as good as the welterweight champion, it could be a nightmare match-up.

To round off some of the UFC stars who are backing Della Maddalena to retain his title, Whittaker, on a recent episode of his podcast, said similar things to Holloway and Adesanya, but described the Australian as having the “x-factor” to beat Makhachev. Whittaker claimed the champion’s “grit” and “determination” to fight against the grappling is what will guide him to victory.

Not Everyone Backs Della Maddalena to be Victorious

Although Della Maddalena has plenty of experienced UFC fighters backing him to win at UFC 322, not everyone shares that confidence. Belal Muhammad, who Della Maddalena defeated earlier this year at UFC 315, emphatically picked the Russian to defeat the Australian during a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel.

Contrary to Max Holloway, Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker’s beliefs that Della Maddalena can fight the grappling, Muhammad believes Makhachev will dominate in that department, and if he gets the fight to the ground, “It’s going to be a long night for Jack.”