UFC 322 marked the emphatic return of Islam Makhachev, who dominated Jack Della Maddalena over five suffocating rounds to claim gold in two divisions. Makhachev dismantled the Aussie with clinical precision, bombarding him with sharp combinations and brutal calf kicks that put Della Maddalena in danger early on. The damage to his lead leg became so severe that the Australian was forced to switch to the orthodox stance as he could not bear weight on his right leg, effectively neutralizing the trademark southpaw weapons that carried him to the title.
The 34-year-old entered what many described as the toughest camp of his career ahead of his welterweight debut and delivered a masterclass. He earned a lopsided unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) to secure the 170-pound crown and cement his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Islam Makhachev is setting his sights on the UFC’s White House event for his next fight
Once the fight hit the canvas, Makhachev’s signature top pressure and brutal ground-and-pound took over as he amassed more than 18 minutes of control time. With the victory, he became only the eleventh double champion in UFC history and the first Russian to achieve the feat.
Compete among the bright lights of Madison Square GardenMakhachev also matched Anderson Silva’s legendary 16-fight UFC winning streak, the longest in the company’s history, while simultaneously ending Della Maddalena’s 18-fight streak. Remarkably, he has now stopped three massive streaks in a row, previously breaking Charles Oliveira’s 11-fight streak and Alexander Volkanovski’s 22-fight tear.
After the victorythe Dagestani spoke proudly of achieving glory in two divisions. Despite giving Makhachev the biggest size disadvantage of his career, Della Maddalena’s extra inch of height had no impact when the cage door closed.
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Each round followed a dominant pattern: Makhachev applied pressure early, absorbed or avoided Della Maddalena’s desperate counter-efforts, then delivered a powerful punch that left the Australian staring up to the horn at the MSG jumbotron.
Ironically, the stand-up exchanges, where Della Maddalena was expected to be the biggest threat, were when he found the least success. In Round 3, Makhachev even came close to landing the same hook-to-head-kick combination that knocked out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 in 2023.
The unanimous decision marked only the second time this decade that a Makhachev fight did not end via knockout or submission. After the fight, Makhachev summed up his emotions during his interview with Joe Rogan, saying: “This is the dream. I’m so happy and I like it. I’ve worked hard for this moment.”
He added: “All my opponents know this, and no one can stop it.” The Dagestani further emphasized how life-changing the move to welterweight has been for him, no longer burdened by the brutal weight cut to 155 pounds. He added: “I swear to God, my life has changed. No weight cuts, and I can do whatever I want for five rounds. I made this fight look so easy.”
The Dagestani star concluded with a strong message about where he wants to compete next: on the historic UFC White House card in June 2026. He concluded with, “Open the White House, I’m coming.”
While Makhachev claimed welterweight gold in dominant fashion, the division is quickly forming a new line of challengers. Rising contenders Michael Morales and Carlos Prates both recorded knockout victories on the same night, injecting new intrigue into the title picture.
Meanwhile, the looming potential title eliminator between Belal Muhammad and Ian Garry promises even more complexity on top of the 170-pound landscape.
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