At UFC 322 on November 15, the former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will be chasing double-championship glory against reigning welterweight king Jack Della Maddalena at the prestigious Madison Square Garden. So far, the fans seem to be favoring the Dagestani to win this matchup, as Islam is currently a -210 favorite (on Oddsshark) to capture the belt. However, on the flipside,  the support for JDM is also steadily growing. And now, to make things more interesting, Conor McGregor has joined the prediction game.

Although Islam Makhachev is getting the majority of the votes, the Aussie champ isn’t falling behind, as divisional fighters like Sean Brady have predicted that ‘JDM’s takedown defense might be the game-changer in this superfight. But Conor McGregor took things up a notch by stepping in to advise Della Maddalena not to fear the former 155-lbs kingpin, claiming in his signature ‘Notorious’ fashion that Islam would be nothing but a “backpack” inside the cage.

Conor McGregor picks Jack Della Maddlena to beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 322   

Jack Della Maddalena’s jiu-jitsu coach, Craig Jones, uploaded a video on Instagram where he revealed McGregor’s advice to JDM, which Jones had received in his DM. “He will be light work at this weight. No finishing capability or positional awareness whatsoever. He is a backpack at best. Nothing to fear. Fear not! Patience, fitness, and ferocity, and he is sparked unconscious inside the 5,” the message read.

Well, the audio in the video sounded a bit different from McGregor’s present-day voice. But assuming it’s actually him, the Irishman seems to have picked Della Maddalena purely because of his boxing and knockout skills, like many others. And, of course, The Notorious One’s animosity with the Dagestanis due to the Khabib Nurmagomedov rivalry is well-known. 

And also, previously, the former two-division champion mocked Islam Makhachev for vacating his lightweight belt and moving up a weight class. After Dana White shared the news, McGregor took to X and posted, “Wow! Real exciting times again in the UFC! Oh yes! Bravo, Dana White! Never a doubt!” So, it would’ve been surprising if he actually picked the other side.

As some much-needed support from prominent MMA personalities has been coming Della Maddalena’s way, the entire Aussie camp has been growing in confidence. However, the camp seems a bit too sure of ‘JDM’ getting the better of Islam, as the welterweight champ’s coach believes that the Dagestani former champ would be easier to deal with on the feet than his last opponent, Belal Muhammad.

‘JDM’s coach believes Islam would be an easier fight than Belal  

At UFC 315, Jack Della Maddalena shocked everyone by dismantling Belal Muhammad on the feet while also stopping his takedown attempts. Although ‘Remember the Name’ managed to land some decent shots as the fight went on, the Aussie proved to be much craftier in action. Because of that, ‘JDM’ is now being considered a master of the anti-wrestling style of fighting.

So, as the reigning champ already faced such a formidable threat in the buildup to the Islam Makhachev fight, his coach Ben Vickers believes that confidence will carry over. In fact, he thinks Della Maddalena would piece up the former 155-pound king even better than Belal Muhammad, as the former welterweight champ was craftier with his striking.

Vickers told Southern Cross Combat, “I like the matchup, I really do. I think it might actually be a bit easier than the Belal fight, just given the styles and that. Belal’s a bit more unorthodox, so a bit harder to cope with, whereas Islam’s a more traditional sort of striker. Obviously, a slightly smaller guy and I don’t doubt that he’s going to put the weight on.”

Well, as Vickers actually thinks that ‘JDM’ would end up winning the bout at UFC 322 in Madison Square Garden, he also recognizes that Islam moving up a weight class makes the situation more mysterious, especially with his cardio. And that’s exactly the reason Islam Makhachev’s move to welterweight is creating the intrigue among fans. At the anticipated superfight, everyone wants to see how the dominant lightweight champ performs both on the feet and in grappling against a much bigger opponent.

That said, as UFC 322 is approaching fast, who do you think will take the main event? Comment down below!