Islam Makhachev’s comments at UFC 322 had more significance than they appeared at first glance. His assessment of Jack Della Maddalena’s grappling sounded like a caution for the whole division. This is particularly true considering the fighters JDM has already defeated to reach the top.

MMA math rarely holds up under pressure. Nonetheless, wrestling comparisons give a better logical analogy in this case. Maddalena handled Belal Muhammad’s takedowns with composure. Belal dominated Leon Edwards, who controlled Kamaru Usman. Makhachev’s tone suggests zero concern about any of them. When he broke down  Maddalena’s wrestling, it sounded less like post-fight analysis and more like confirmation of what he expected all along.

Islam Makhachev breaks down Jack Della Maddalena’s wrestling

Speaking to Match TV, the lightweight champion pointed to Jack Della Maddalena’s fight with Belal Muhammad. He argued that the same defensive patterns kept showing up. Once he recognized them, the outcome felt inevitable.”Before me, he fought Belal, who also has strong wrestling,” Makhachev said in a translated interview with Match TV (h/t Championship Rounds). “Belal was taking him down, and Maddalena was good at getting back up after takedowns. But he’d always get up using the same move, the same reversal.”

“When I took him down and saw him try that same reversal on me, I was already prepared for it and defended it. That’s when I realized he had nothing else besides that move. I said to myself, ‘That’s it? You haven’t learned anything else? You don’t have any other skills to get back to your feet?’ That’s when I understood he was going to be there for a long time.”

That blunt assessment says a lot about where Islam Makhachev believes he stands. After a record four lightweight title defenses, his confidence now spills beyond one division. He’s open to fighting Ilia Topuria, but not at a lower weight. Meanwhile, a stacked welterweight line featuring Michael Morales, Ian Machado Garry, Carlos Prates, and Kamaru Usman waits.

However, Ilia Topuria, who is also chasing a superfight against Makhachev, recently downplayed the Dagestani while calling him out.

Ilia Topuria mocks Islam Makhachev’s grappling amid super fight talk

Ilia Topuria has fired back at Islam Makhachev, brushing off the welterweight champion’s latest stance on their potential showdown. While Makhachev insisted that the potential match at the White House Card should be at welterweight, Topuria remained completely indifferent. He went even further and directly doubted the grappling skills of the Dagestani.

The tension between the two has been building since Topuria committed full-time to lightweight after relinquishing his featherweight title. While Makhachev moved up to 170 pounds following Belal Muhammad’s loss to Jack Della Maddalena, it effectively shelved a lightweight clash. Makhachev later claimed he has no intention of returning to 155, repeatedly downplaying Topuria’s ground game.

That prompted a sharp response from Topuria on social media. “Not even in his dreams,” he wrote. “He’s bad even at dreaming.” When one fan suggested Makhachev would submit him, Topuria openly scoffed at the idea.