UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has let slip that former lightweight champion Islam Makahchev’s welterweight title challenge against current champion Jake Della Maddalena is in the works for UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden in New York City in November.
“I think here in New York,” Khabib said while on stage in NYC for the ‘Cornell Combat Sports Show’. “They promised us.”
Apparently Makhachev was in the crowd and wasn’t best pleased that Khabib was spilling the beans, but he continued on regardless.
“He is now upset because I give information but this is his deal with UFC. I don’t deal with UFC. This is his problem.
“But we have deal with them, he’s gonna fight in Madison Square Garden.”
In all fairness though, it’s just a week since Makhachev had also strongly hinted that the fight would take place before the end of the year, though he had stopped short of naming the destination.
“We’ve almost agreed on everything,” Makhachev had told UFC Eurasia. “There’s a 90 percent chance the fight happens in November.”
It’s always been known that this was going to be the next fight for Makhachev though since he vacated the lightweight title back in May after four successful defenses of the belt in order to challenge for the 170lb title.
And Maddalena has previously indicated he’s more than willing to fight Makhachev, despite the fact that he’s only just won the belt in May after beating Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision at UFC 315, extending his winning streak in the Octagon to eight fights in the process.
