UFC 322 Breakdown: What Islam Makhachev & Jack Della Maddalena Must Do to Win
- Austin Jones
- Nov 14, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 9
UFC 322 Breakdown: What Islam Makhachev & Jack Della Maddalena Must Do to Win
UFC 322 delivers one of the most intriguing stylistic clashes in recent memory: Islam Makhachev, the pound-for-pound king and lightweight champion moving up to welterweight, versus Jack Della Maddalena, the Australian sharpshooter with elite boxing, patience, and lethal finishing instincts.
This isn’t just a fight.
This is a collision of MMA philosophies.
FIGHT.TV breaks down what each man must do to secure victory and walk away with the welterweight title.
What Islam Makhachev Must Do to Win
✔️ 1. Blend His Striking and Wrestling Early
Islam is at his most dangerous when his opponent cannot predict the next phase. He doesn't need to spam takedowns, he just needs to threaten them. His striking has evolved enough that mixing jabs and level changes will freeze JDM’s forward pressure.
Key Objective: Keep Jack guessing, never let him settle into a boxing rhythm.
✔️ 2. Chain Wrestle, Don’t Single Shot
JDM’s initial takedown defense is better than fans think, but his scramble awareness is where Islam can take over. Islam’s hallmark isn’t the first shot, it’s shots two, three, and four until he finds the back or a dominant ride.
Key Objective: Turn early grappling exchanges into long, suffocating sequences.
✔️ 3. Smother the Body and Drain the Gas Tank
Jack’s power and timing dip significantly when he’s forced to work off the cage.
If Islam can:
wrist ride
knee the thigh
attack legs
force mat returns
Jack’s biggest weapon is clean pocket striking, Islam needs to avoid this.
Key Objective: Break rhythm, break posture, break cardio.
✔️ 4. Avoid Extended Kickboxing Exchanges
Jack’s biggest advantage here is range control and boxing precision. Islam should strike only as a setup, not a battleground.
Key Objective: Use striking for disguise, not for war.
What Jack Della Maddalena Must Do to Win
✔️ 1. Win the First Two Minutes - Dominate the Center
Islam’s most dangerous rounds are Round 1 and 2, when he’s freshest.
Jack must:
push him backward
dictate the pace
use feints to shut down level changes
take the center of the cage and keep it
If Islam is backing up, JDM is winning.
Key Objective: Establish pressure early before grappling takes over.
✔️ 2. Target the Body and Legs, Not Just the Head
Every boxer who fights a grappler makes the same mistake: headhunting.
Jack’s body shots and calf kicks are his best anti wrestling tools. Beat the legs, slow the entries. Beat the body, gas the lungs.
Key Objective: Damage Islam’s movement, not just his chin.
✔️ 3. Create Chaos, Don’t Fight Clean
Islam thrives in order. Jack thrives in chaos.
If JDM can create unpredictable scrambles, high tempo striking moments, and force Islam into reactive fighting, he can steal rounds or land the shot that changes everything.
Key Objective: Turn this into a fight on the feet that shuts down time on the ground.
✔️ 4. Keep His Back Off the Fence at All Costs
Islam is deadliest when opponents let him lock hands against the cage.
Jack must angle out immediately, even if it costs him a strike or two.
No hanging out.
No stalling.
No straight line retreating.
Key Objective: Circle, pivot, escape and survive the squeeze.
FIGHT.TV Final Take on UFC 322
Islam Makhachev comes in with the tools, experience, and championship pedigree to dominate anyone in two weight classes. His wrestling and control are unmatched, but Jack Della Maddalena is exactly the kind of striker who can punish even the smallest mistake with a wrestling base to match.
This fight will come down to a single question:
Can Islam force his world on Jack or can Jack keep the fight on the feet long enough to find the shot that no one sees coming?
We see a razor thin matchup where either man can impose their will, and either man can be finished if they don’t.
What do you think, fight fans?
Let us know below.
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