Fights like this belong at Madison Square Garden. It’s where Joe Frazier conquered Muhammad Ali in the “Fight of the Century.” It’s where Conor McGregor was crowned double champion and apologized to “absolutely nobody.” And on Saturday night, it’s where Islam Makhachev will attempt to capture gold in a second division as he challenges Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 322.
Makhachev, the dominant former lightweight champion, enters as a heavy -305 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the 170-pound titleholder is listed as a +245 underdog. The total is set at 3.5 rounds.
Betting Splits
Makhachev has dominated the betting action, capturing a whopping 74% of total bets and 79% of the handle, while Della Maddalena lags far behind as a massive underdog with just 26% of wagers and 21% of the handle.
On the UFC 322 main card, the Russian prodigy is tied with Carlos Prates for the highest percentage of total bets and slightly trails the No. 9-ranked welterweight contender in percentage of handle. Prates has amassed a staggering 83% of the handle as a -162 favorite in his bout against former champ Leon Edwards.
Makhachev (27-1, 5 KOs, 13 SUB) ravaged through the lightweight division and captured the championship against Charles Oliveira in 2022. He defended the 155-pound title four times — conquering the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier — and most recently dispatched Renato Moicano with a first-round submission in January. Della Maddalena (18-2, 12 KOs, 2 SUB) steadily climbed the welterweight rankings with impressive victories over Kevin Holland and Gilbert Burns, then seized the title against Belal Muhammad in May.
Neither fighter has lost since 2016.
As for the finish, the sambo specialist Makhachev holds +175 odds to win by submission, and the surgical striker Della Maddalena sits at +450 to win by knockout.
