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Islam Makhachev receives gift from New York Knicks star before UFC 322 title fight

Makhachev will look to claim a second belt at UFC 322.
Drew Beaupre|
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Islam Makhachev received a welcome gift from New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns ahead of his main event fight at UFC 322.

One of the biggest names on the UFC roster, Makhachev elected to vacate the promotion’s lightweight belt following his fourth title defense earlier this year at UFC 311 in order to pursue championship glory in a second weight class.

The 34-year-old is slated to fight for the welterweight belt this weekend at UFC 322 against Jack Della Maddalena, which will close out a stacked Madison Square Garden card that also features a title bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Weili Zhang in the night’s co-main event.

Karl-Anthony Towns Gifts Knicks Jersey To Islam Makhachev

The UFC’s annual Madison Square Garden show is always one of the promotion’s biggest events of the year, and UFC 322 is no exception given that both Makhachev and Zhang will be looking to make history and claim UFC titles in new weight classes.

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Makhachev made it to New York City’s iconic arena a week early to take in an NBA game between the New York Knicks and their crosstown rivals the Brooklyn Nets. Before tip-off, Knicks star Towns gifted the former UFC lightweight champion a personalized jersey featuring the number 322 to commemorate his headlining title fight with Della Maddalena.

Massive Win Streaks Collide In UFC 322 Main Event

Towns ended up putting on a show for Makhachev and the fans at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, as “KAT” put up 28 points and snagged 12 rebounds to help the Knicks down the Nets 134-98 and secure the Knicks’ fourth win in a row.

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A pair of lengthy win streaks will also be on the line when the cage door closes for the main event of UFC 322. Makhachev is undefeated in his career outside of a 2015 loss to Adriano Martins and has won 15-straight fights, while Della Maddalena is unbeaten in the UFC and has won 18 fights in a row after starting his pro career with back-to-back losses in 2016.

Jack Della Maddalena (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Belal Muhammad (not pictured) during UFC 315.
Jack Della Maddalena (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Belal Muhammad (not pictured) for the Welterweight Title during UFC 315 at Bell Centre. | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The welterweight title fight will cap off what should be an incredible night of action at Madison Square Garden. Outside of the main event and Shevchenko vs. Zhang, the main card also features two more pivotal welterweight contests with Leon Edwards taking Carlos Prates and Sean Brady set to meet Michael Morales, plus a high-stakes lightweight contest between Beneil Dariush and Benoit Saint-Denis.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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