Kenny Florian thinks Islam Makhachev’s run of success will come to an end at UFC 322.
Former UFC and PFL commentator Florian is somewhat puzzled by Makhachev’s status as such a big betting favorite for Saturday’s headliner at Madison Square Garden in New York (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, FX, Disney+, ESPN+), where the former lightweight champion will move up to welterweight and challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the belt.
Florian has the utmost respect for what Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) has done during his run at 155 pounds, but he said the 15-pound jump up to a higher division is not something to seriously consider when breaking down key elements of how the fight vs. Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will play out.
“It could be that Islam Makhachev is that good,” Florian said on his “Anik & Florian Podcast” with UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik. “He might just smash JDM up against the cage and get repeated takedowns, win round-after-round and maybe find a way to submit him. But, moving around a 170-pound body in practice is way different than moving around a 170-pound body in a fight. Doing it for the first time and dealing with that fear, that doubt of experiencing that in the fight, a guy like JDM. I don’t know.
“I think it’s just going to be different. The crazy thing about this is, everyone is on the Islam Makhachev train right now, but I feel like there’s more pressure on Islam than there is JDM, and JDM is the guy who has the belt.”
Florian, who opened his UFC career off “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series as a middleweight then dropped down to welterweight, lightweight and featherweight, said he’s open to the idea that Makhachev could exceed his expectations and make up the size and strength difference.
He ultimately thinks Della Maddalena will be able to stifle Makhachev enough to get off damage to either finish the fight or win on the scorecards.
“I like JDM in this spot,” Florian said. “I think there’s a lot of value here. I like JDM. I think Islam Makhachev is an amazing 155-pound fighter, I just don’t know if he’s an amazing welterweight.”
