As he enters a super fight at UFC 322 on Saturday, Islam Makhachev has received high praise from a top MMA analyst.

Makhachev has been preparing for Jack Della Maddalena ever since “JDM” snatched the UFC Welterweight Championship from Belal Muhammad back in May. After vacating the UFC Lightweight Championship, which now belongs to Ilia Topuria, Makhachev is gunning for the 170-pound gold.

For Jon Anik’s money, Makhachev is well deserving of his top spot on the official UFC pound-for-pound list (h/t MMAJunkie).

“I’m fascinated by the betting line, if you can’t tell,” Anik said to Fox Sports Australia. “I don’t understand why it’s so demonstrably wide, but Islam deserves his flowers, you know. As far as I am concerned, you don’t lose your pound-for-pound No. 1 status outside the octagon, so for me, he’s still the king until proven otherwise.”

Make no mistake, Anik believes the dangers that Makhachev will be facing on Saturday inside Madison Square Garden are very real.

“I believe in Jack, but I believe in his ability in transition and his grappling ability in theory figures to be tested like never before,” Anik said. “But on the feet, as much as we want to put accolades at the feet of Islam Makhachev, I don’t think any of these guys at 170 pounds want to hang around on the feet too long with Jack.”

Many pros who pick Makhachev to capture another UFC title in New York City admit they feel Maddalena will be no easy task. After all, “JDM” showed he has improved his takedown defense greatly, effectively thwarting the grappling of Muhammad to utilize his striking skills.

How much success Maddalena will have stopping Makhachev’s grappling will be something to keep an eye on at UFC 322. It’ll also be interesting to see how Makhachev will respond if he can’t secure takedowns as effectively as he did at lightweight.

All of those questions will be answered on Saturday, and BJPenn.com will have you covered. Join us on the homepage for live results, video highlights, and pro fighter reactions throughout the UFC 322 card.