Jack Della Maddalena survives weigh-in scare ahead of Islam Makhachev fight

‘JDM’ will defend the welterweight title against former lightweight king Makhachev on Saturday

The main event of UFC 322 is official for Saturday night, but only after a weigh-in scare for Jack Della Maddalena.

“JDM” is set to defend the welterweight title this weekend, taking on former lightweight king Islam Makhachev at Madison Square Garden.

And as Makhachev prepares to fight at 170lb for the first time, the Russian made championship weight ahead of the showdown in New York City.

However, Della Maddalena took to the scales much later on Friday morning, and when he did, the Australian came in at 170.4lb.

But after removing his shorts and weighing in behind a curtain, the champion was listed at 169.8lb.

With that, his first title defence was made official, after the 29-year-old dethroned Belal Muhammad in May. Had JDM failed to make 170lb inside the deadline, he would have been stripped of the belt.

After Della Maddalena’s title win in May, Makhachev relinquished the lightweight belt, having broken the record for most-successful title defences at 155lb. By submitting Renato Moicano in January, Makhachev secured his fourth successive defence of the gold.

Makhachev, 34, had said he would not challenge Muhammad – one of his training partners – for the title, but Muhammad’s defeat by JDM opened the door for Makhachev to move up a division.

Both fighters will enter Saturday’s main event on significant winning streaks. Since losing his first two professional bouts, Della Maddalena has won 18 in a row, dating back to 2016. Meanwhile, Makhachev has not lost in 10 years, winning 15 straight fights since his sole defeat as a pro.