UFC Hall of Famer thinks Islam Makhachev enters GOAT talk if he defeats JDM

A pioneer for MMA in Europe believes Islam Makhachev has a chance to enter the GOAT conversation if he emerges victorious at UFC 322.

Makhachev is scheduled to move up in weight to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC Welterweight Championship on Nov. 15. The super fight will headline UFC 322 inside the famous Madison Square Garden arena in New York City.

While Makhachev has already cemented his legacy as a lightweight, he can further etch his name in the history books if he can take Maddalena’s title before the end of 2025. Speaking to MMAJunkie.com, Michael Bisping explained how big a victory for Makhachev would be at UFC 322.

“It doesn’t sound right,” Bisping said. “Maybe I’m not giving him his credit there. When you look at Anderson Silva, his second fight in the UFC he became the champ. He beat Chris Leben, then he beat Rich Franklin to become the champion. So the majority of those 16 wins were title defenses. That’s a little different. When you talk about Jon Jones, there’s a lot of title defenses in there, as well. Same with Georges St-Pierre.

“I’m certainly not critiquing Islam Makhachev’s career. I’m not nit-picking or discrediting it at all. … If he gets the job done, I think without question he deserves to be in that conversation.”

Maddalena figures to be a stern test for Makhachev. “JDM” is a natural welterweight, who defeated Makhachev’s teammate Belal Muhammad to capture the gold back in May. Maddalena demonstrated solid takedown defense and high-level boxing, which many believe could be the keys to thwarting Makhachev.

Makhachev hasn’t lost a pro MMA bout since a stunning knockout loss to Adriano Martins back in 2015. Since that loss, Makhachev has gone on a 15-fight winning streak. He’s already gone a full decade without losing another fight, and he’ll look to keep that streak alive.