"Striking clinic coming up?" - Fans react to footage of Islam Makhachev sharpening his striking skills ahead of Jack Della Maddalena clash

Islam Makhachev (pictured) will fight for the welterweight championship at UFC 322. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]
Islam Makhachev (pictured) will fight for the welterweight championship at UFC 322. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

Islam Makhachev is set to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title at UFC 322 on Nov. 15, at Madison Square Garden, New York. While many view Makhachev's dominant wrestling as his path to victory, a recent training video seems to have made fans reconsider how the fight could unfold.

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The former lightweight champion appears to be sharpening his standup skills in the lead-up to the fight, knowing Maddalena is one of the most dangerous strikers at 170 pounds.

Furthermore, the Dagestani is not one to shy away from standing and banging when he needs to. He largely outstruck the former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier, at UFC 302.

A video doing the rounds on social media shows the Makhachev drilling boxing combinations. Suffice it to say, his training has divided the MMA fandom, with many flocking online to share their thoughts and opinions.

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Check out Islam Makhachev working on his striking below:

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@asifchach wrote:

"Striking clinic coming up?"

@TedBull323 opined:

"This is a farce. He will shoot for the n**s at the first chance he gets."

@ALosersLament chimed in:

"He has very good striking already, but let's not kid ourselves. When he feels JDM's [Maddalena's] power and crisp boxing, he will do everything to take it to the ground."
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@Transis49208365 commented:

"Soon-to-be the new UFC welterweight champion."

Check out a few more comments below:

Screenshots courtesy: @ChamoRDS on X
Screenshots courtesy: @ChamoRDS on X

According to Sherdog, Makhachev is a -265 favorite for the match with the reigning champion a +205 underdog.

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Additionally, the co-main event of UFC 322 will feature a women's superfight as former strawweight champion Zhang Weili takes on flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.


UFC legend explains why Jack Della Maddalena will struggle against Islam Makhachev

After Jack Della Maddalena largely neutralized Belal Muhammad's wrestling at UFC 315, many were left wondering if he could do the same to Islam Makhachev in an eventual fight.

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UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier, however, is convinced the grappling threat Makhachev presents is much different than Muhammad's. During an appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, 'DC' said:

"He will get takedown attempts coming at him very early, this time. The last fight [with Muhammad], he didn't have to deal with that when he was fresh. If Islam can start to pressure him early, and take him down early, or even just make him wrestle, he might struggle.
"I don't know if he has felt anything like he's going to feel, because it's not going to be double legs and single legs with Islam. It's going to be him playing with his feet, tripping him, moving around on the octagon side. Doing things that he doesn't recognize as freely."

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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