Browsing: Makhachev

Islam Makhachev dominated UFC 322 in New York by shutting out Jack Della Maddalena and becoming a two-division champion, adding the welterweight title to his lightweight belt. He controlled nearly the entire fight with relentless wrestling, finishing with almost 20 minutes of top control and tying Anderson Silvaâ€s UFC record of 16 straight wins. This victory fulfilled a prediction made years earlier by Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who trained both Khabib and Makhachev from childhood.

Makhachev dominated the fight with nonstop wrestling pressure, keeping Della on the canvas for more than 18 minutes. Della had no answers and looked mentally drained by the later rounds. Reporters like Ariel Helwani noted that Makhachev didnâ€t just defeat him physically but also broke him mentally. Commentator John Anik said Della looked “listless,†something never seen from him before.

Makhachev, now 34, knows he is entering the final stretch of his prime and is focused on building his legacy, breaking records, and taking only the biggest fights. After the win, he carried both belts into the press room, smiling as he said, “Usually I bring one. Now I bring two.â€

Jack Della Maddalenaâ€s coach, Ben Vickers, shared an emotional message after his heavy loss to Islam at UFC 322. He said the defeat “hurts like hell†but praised Della for daring to dream and taking the challenge. Vickers said he was proud of his fighter and the entire team, thanking supporters and stressing that this loss is only the beginning, not the end.

Conor McGregorâ€s coach, John Kavanagh, said he was shocked by how strong Makhachev felt at welterweight, with even Della admitting he did not expect that level of power.

Who should Islam Makhachev fight next?

Islam Makhachev has several strong options for his next opponent after dominating Della Maddalena at UFC 322. The best and most natural matchup is Shavkat Rakhmonov, an undefeated welterweight with 18 finishes in 19 wins. He has been inactive in 2025, which makes it harder to pick him right away, but his record and his win against Ian Machado Garry make him the strongest choice.

If the UFC prefers someone more active, Michael Morales becomes the leading choice. He is unbeaten at 19-0 and is coming off a big knockout win over Sean Brady, plus earlier victories over Gilbert Burns and Neil Magny. His activity and momentum make him a legitimate and easier-to-sell contender.

A third option is Kamaru Usman, who returned to welterweight with a convincing win over Joaquin Buckley. His name value and championship legacy still carry weight. At 38, this could be one of his last chances to chase another title, making him a viable contender if the UFC wants a veteran matchup.

Who do Fans want Islam Makachev to fight next?

Fans donâ€t agree with Makhachevâ€s plan to fight Kamaru Usman next. In a large Bloody Elbow fan poll held after UFC 322, almost 40% of voters chose Ilia Topuria as the opponent they want to see next, pushing for a champion-vs-champion super-fight instead of a welterweight defense.

Shavkat Rakhmonov finished second with a little over 20% of the votes, making him the top-ranked welterweight choice despite his year of inactivity. Usman, the matchup Makhachev wants, came in third with about 18%.

Michael Morales received just over 11%, the winner of Belal Muhammad vs Ian Machado Garry got around 6%, and Carlos Prates, despite his knockout win at UFC 322, finished last with under 5%.

Overall, the fans†message was clear: the most wanted fight is Makhachev vs Topuria, not Makhachev vs. Usman.

FAQs

Q. Is Islam Makhachev a double champ?

A. Yes. Makhachev became a double champion after winning the welterweight title.

Q. Who was Islam Makhachevâ€s toughest opponent?

A. Makhachev considers Jack Della Maddalena one of his toughest opponents.

Q. What is Islam Makhachevâ€s UFC record?

A. Makhachev has a record of 28–1. He also tied the UFC record with 16 straight wins.

Q. Who is Islam Makhachevâ€s only loss against?

A. Makhachevâ€s only loss came against Brazilian fighter Adriano Martins in October 2015.

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Islam Makhachev became the UFC welterweight champion with a unanimous decision win over Jack Della Maddalena in the main event of UFC 322.

It didn’t take long for the fight to start going Makhachev’s way. After a brief period of striking he was able to lock in a takedown and go to work on smothering the defending champion.Â

Makhachev had the early makings of a choke, but Della Maddalena was able to work his way out of them.Â

There wasn’t much of an adjustment for Della Maddalena in the second frame. Makhachev once again got him to the ground and the only highlight for JDM was an armbar attempt that was easily defended by Makhachev.Â

The Australian did have a few brief moments in exchanges in the third round. But an easy double leg from Makhachev quickly flipped the entire round as Della Maddalena was unable to get back up.

The result was complete devastation for Della Maddalena and his corner. Â

Given the apparent pain that Della Maddalena was in and his domination, it felt like mercy when Makhachev tried to lock in multiple submissions in the final round. He wasn’t able to lock it in, but it was clear that he put in yet another dominant performance for his resume.Â

Makhachev’s dominance continues to be one of the dominant throughlines in the UFC right now. Voters will have something to think about with Makhachev sitting at No. 2 on the pound-for-pound list and Ilia Topuria sitting at No. 1.

The Dagestani fighter now joins the small club of fighters who have won titles at two different weight classes. The 34-year-old is coming off a title reign at lightweight that included a record-setting four-consecutive title defenses in the weight class.

From the sounds of it, he plans on continuing his penchant for defending the belt from all comers in his new weight class.

“I want to do something more, not just become champion,” he told media leading up to the bout. “Second belt, defend, maybe more than Kamaru (Usman), and to become (part of) the Hall of Fame.”

It’s very likely that Makhachev will get to start that goal by beating the very fighter he mentioned. Kamaru Usman made a successful return to the weltwerweight division with a win over Joaquin Buckley and might be running out time at 38 years old.

If one win isn’t enough to get Usman the fight then there are plenty of other interesting candidates. Undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov is still lurking while Michael Morales and Carlos Prates picked up big wins on the card.

None are likely to be favorites over Makhachev at this point.

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The UFC’s yearly trip to the World’s Most Famous Arena is upon us as Madison Square Garden in New York City hosts UFC 322.

The main event is a superfight for the UFC welterweight championship as current champion Jack Della Maddalena defends for the first time against former UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

Della Maddalena is coming off a win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in which he became the man to beat at 170 pounds while also extending his win streak to 17 straight. Makhachev vacates the lightweight title in order to move up and is looking to improve on a 15-fight win streak after submitting Renato Moicano at UFC 311.

The co-main event is another superfight as UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defends against former UFC women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili. Shevchenko is coming off a title defense over Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 while Weili vacates the 115-pound title following five straight wins.

The rest of the main card is stacked with ranked fighters as Sean Brady takes on Michael Morales in a welterweight bout; former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards battles Carlos Prates; and a lightweight fight between Beneil Dariush and Benoit Saint-Denis kicks off the main card.

FX PRELIMS | 6 PM ET/3 PM PT

> Lightweights- Viacheslav Borshchev (8-6-1, 3-5-1 UFC) vs. Matheus Camilo (9-3, 0-1 UFC)

Camilo lands a left hook. Borshchev with a leg kick. They trade and Camilo gets a takedown, but Borshchev is able to force it to the feet. Camilo has body control against the fence, but Borshchev is able to cause a break. Camilo lands a jab that backs Borshchev up. Camilo lands a leg kick and they trade combos inside the pocket. Camilo scores a takedown. Camilo lands some body shots from inside the guard. Borshchev forces it to the feet. 10-9 Camilo.

> Middleweights- Baisangur Susurkaev (10-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Eric McConico (10-3-1, 1-1 UFC)

> Women’s Strawweights- #12 Angela Hill (18-15, 13-15 UFC) vs. Fatima Kline (8-1, 2-1 UFC)

> Featherweights- Pat Sabatini (20-5, 7-2 UFC) vs. Chepe Mariscal (18-6 1 NC, 5-0 UFC)

> Middleweights- Kyle Daukaus (16-4 1 NC, 3-4 1 NC UFC) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (37-20, 12-12 UFC)

FX PRELIMS | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

> Featherweights- Malcolm Wellmaker (10-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Ethyn Ewing (8-2, 0-0 UFC)

> Women’s Flyweights- #4 Erin Blanchfield (13-2, 7-1 UFC) vs. #8 Tracy Cortez (12-2, 6-1 UFC)

> Middleweights- Roman Kopylov (14-4, 6-4 UFC) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (17-6, 8-3 UFC)

> Middleweights- Bo Nickal (7-1, 4-1 UFC) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (11-3, 6-3 UFC)

ESPN+ PPV MAIN CARD | 10 PM ET/7 PM PT

> Lightweights*- #9 Beneil Dariush (23-6-1, 16-6-1 UFC) vs. #13 Benoit Saint-Denis (15-3 1 NC, 7-3 UFC)

*Dariush missed weight by 1.2 pounds

> Welterweights- #4 Leon Edwards (22-5 1 NC, 14-4 1 NC UFC) vs. #9 Carlos Prates (22-7, 5-1 UFC)

> Welterweights- #2 Sean Brady (18-1, 8-1 UFC) vs. #8 Michael Morales (18-0, 6-0 UFC)

> UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship- C Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1, 14-3-1 UFC) vs. #1 WSW Zhang Weili (26-3, 10-2 UFC)

> UFC Welterweight Championship- C Jack Della Maddalena (18-2, 8-0 UFC) vs. #1 LW Islam Makhachev (27-1, 16-1 UFC)

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Ryan Frederick

MMA writer & live coverage specialist, contributor to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter

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