Overview
- The bout headlines Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden, where the fighters staged a first staredown atop the Empire State Building, and Zhang Weili challenges Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main.
- Coach Javier Mendez calls this Islam Makhachev’s best camp yet, citing peak strength and focus, as fight-week photos highlight his added size and he acknowledges first-time creatine use.
- Dustin Poirier frames the fight around Makhachev’s takedowns versus Jack Della Maddalena’s get-ups and boxing, while Israel Adesanya predicts a second-round knockout for the champion.
- A victory would make Makhachev a two-division UFC titleholder and tie Anderson Silva’s record of 16 consecutive UFC wins.
- Looking ahead if he wins, Makhachev named Kamaru Usman as his preferred first defense, and Mendez also floated Ilia Topuria as a major option, with both possibilities contingent on Saturday’s result.