Della Maddalena will look to defend his welterweight title for the first time when he takes on Makhachev, who gave up his lightweight title to move up the ranks. Heading into the fight, Makhachev is a -258 favorite, but UFC analyst Michael Bisping expects the fight to be much closer than the odds suggest.
“To me it’s a coin toss,” Bisping said. “I think Islam has a very, very good chance. I think Jack Della Maddalena has a very good chance, and I know I’m kind of on the fence. There’s generally a reason why fighters commit to a weight class. Islam is 34 years old. Throughout his entire combat sports career, growing up, doing combat Sambo and transitioning to MMA, he’s always been this weight class.
“And there’s a reason for that. There are weight classes for a reason, because the guys are bigger and stronger and you don’t have as much success if you’re the smaller guy. Who knows? Maybe his technique is that great.”
Michael Bisping enjoys watching Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev
Bisping knows Della Maddalena will have a big advantage against Makhachev at UFC 323.
“Jack has an advantage on his feet,” Bisping said. “That’s just a fact. In wrestling, Islam has an advantage. That’s also a fact. Then you look at the intangibles, like how much does someone want it? How hard have they trained? What is their fighting spirit? It’s a lame statement, but it’s true.”
“What drives them, who are they and how poorly are they going to prepare? When you see him training with Khabib and know that they will leave no stone unturned. But Jack Della Maddalena is not here by chance. This is what makes this such an incredible fight because honestly I could make a choice either way because it is literally a coin toss.”
Della Maddalena will defend his welterweight title against Makhachev in the main event of UFC 322 on November 15 at Madison Square Garden.
#Michael #Bisping #explains #Jack #Della #Maddalena #Islam #considers #Makhachev #coin #toss #BJPenn.com