After winning the UFC lightweight title against Charles Oliveira in 2022, Islam Makhachev successfully defended it four times before deciding to move up to chase welterweight gold. However, his pursuit didn’t take long before he secured a title fight against UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena. The pair is now scheduled to square off on November 15 at UFC 322 in Madison Square Garden, New York City.

The Russian, of course, stands a chance to become a two-division champion if he manages to pull off a win next month. Not to mention, there’s also been chatter of a potential super fight against current UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. And the Russian southpaw is dedicated to making all of those things happen come fight night. But before that, the 33-year-old just made his way to the city, where everything is supposed to go down. 

Islam Makhachev arrives in New York

Earlier today, the Eagles MMA member shared a series of clips on his Instagram Story documenting his arrival in America alongside his team. In one of the videos, Makhachev can be seen filming himself in front of the JPMorgan Chase World Headquarters at 270 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

With the 1,388-foot skyscraper towering in the background, Makhachev let his fans know he had officially arrived for his upcoming fight next month. The account ‘Championship Rounds’ on X quickly reposted the clip, writing, “Islam Makhachev has arrived in New York City just under a month out from the JDM fight at #UFC322.”

Makhachev’s last fight, against Renato Moicano, took place in Inglewood, California. This will be his first-ever bout in New York—something the 33-year-old appears genuinely excited about. However, fans were quick to flood social media with playful trolling once the update surfaced.

Early arrival but no warm welcome for Makhachev

While Islam Makhachev has earned a lot of fans during his time in the UFC, even he is not safe from some harmless trolling. One user felt the Russian’s video was creepy. “This video is creepy lol,” the user wrote. Perhaps Makhachev should have waited till daylight. 

Meanwhile, this user joked that Makhachev may have received the wrong details about his fight date. “Bro got told the wrong date for the fight,” the user commented. However, it’s not unusual for fighters to arrive early and start training. 

Another user warned the 33-year-old about what’s about to happen to him in New York City. “Enjoy it while it lasts, you won’t remember anything after November 15th,” the user wrote. Yet, Makhachev is confident about producing another win. 

Someone else seems to have had a problem with Makhachev’s clothes. “And Bros in a Nike tech he coming different 😭,” the user wrote. “Nike tech” is a line of performance-oriented apparel from Nike.

The next user just hoped to run into Makhachev on the streets of New York City. “Imagine walking down the street in NYC and seeing Islam Makhachev lmao,” the user wrote. People might take to the streets after this. 

It appears Islam Makhachev became the butt of a few jokes after his arrival in New York City. Yet, there’s no doubt that everyone’s looking forward to his upcoming fight against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Will you tune in?