Jan 18, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Islam Makhachev (red gloves) fights Renato Moicano (blue gloves) in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

mma

Islam Makhachev Believes He Has All The Striking Tools Set; Promises To Showcase Them At UFC 322

Islam Makhachev has built his championship reign on dominant grappling and suffocating ground control. The former lightweight king has made opponents look helpless with his relentless wrestling and submission threats.

But now, ahead of UFC 322 fight against Jack Della Maddalena, Makhachev is making bold claims about a different aspect of his game. He’s promising to show the world his striking skills have reached elite levels.

Islam Makhachev Promises To Showcase Elite Striking At UFC 322

Makhachev has never been known primarily as a striker, though he’s shown solid standup throughout his career. In a recent conversation with the UFC, Islam Makhachev teased his improved striking and declared he’s ready to prove he’s the best fighter on the planet.

“I can strike with anyone. On November 15, I will show you who the best fighter in the world is.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by UFC on TNT Sports (@tntsportsufc)

His knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in their rematch proved he possesses genuine power. Moreover, he surpassed Dustin Poirier in significant strikes in their fight. Poirier is considered one of the best boxers in the UFC. His striking has evolved since the early days and it shows. Islam’s promise to showcase his striking at UFC 322 indicates he feels confident enough to stand and trade rather than immediately hunting takedowns. That’s a dangerous development for anyone facing him.

What This Means For UFC 322

If Makhachev (27-1)genuinely plans to rely more on his striking, UFC 322 could look completely different from his previous fights. Opponents have game-planned around defending his wrestling for years. They drill takedown defense endlessly. They work on getting back up. But what happens when Islam decides to keep it standing and pick them apart on the feet?

That is where it gets kind of messy. Della Maddalena is known as one of the best strikers in the UFC. His combinations are crisp and he knows how to maintain that distance, as was evident from his title fight with Belal Muhammad. If Makhachev really has made huge strides in the striking department, this could be a boon for him and a curse for Della Maddalena.

The gound game is pretty much Makhachev’s domain. If he can hold his own in striking as well, this could mean Della Maddalena would have no strong suit. But, this seems unlikely, given the Australian’s years of striking discipline and fight IQ based on his striking combinations. No matter what is true, UFC 322 is a treat for fight fans all over the world!

(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)

Islam Makhachev

Jack Della Maddalena

UFC 322

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!