NEW YORK, August 29. /TASS/. Russian mixed martial arts fighter Islam Makhachev will go toe-to-toe with Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC Welterweight crown on November 15, the UFC press office announced in a statement on Friday.

The statement cited UFC CEO Dana White as saying that the Makhachev-Maddalena fight will take place within the framework of the UFC 322 night in New York City.

"In the main event, newly minted welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena makes his first defense against longtime lightweight king Islam Makhachev," the statement reads. "The fight was one most assumed would happen once Della Maddalena unseated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, and he’ll now look to thwart Makhachev’s quest to join the elite group of fighters who have collected belts in multiple weightclasses."

On May 10, 2025, Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad (24 wins; four defeats) of the United States by unanimous decision to become the UFC Welterweight Champion.

Makhachev, 33, boasts a record of 27 wins (five by KO/TKO, 13 by submission, nine by decision) and one defeat. The Russian fighter became the UFC Lightweight champion in October 2022. He successfully defended his title four times.

Earlier in the year, TASS reported that Makhachev had decided to vacate his champion’s title in the Lightweight Division and move to the Welterweight Division.

Australia’s Maddalena, 28, holds a record of 18 wins (12 by KO/TKO, two by submission and four by decision) and two defeats (one by KO/TKO, one by submission).

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotional event, featuring the world’s top-ranked fighters. Numerous Russian fighters fight in the UFC.