Islam Makhachev cemented his place among MMA’s all-time greats with a commanding five-round victory over Jack Della Maddalena to claim the UFC welterweight title at UFC 322 inside Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, MySportDab Reports.
The Dagestani star produced a flawless performance, earning a unanimous decision win (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) and becoming the 11th fighter in UFC history to hold championships in two weight classes.
Makhachev (28-1), already the lightweight division’s record holder for most title defences (four), stepped up to 170 pounds after vacating his belt earlier this year.
Despite the move, he looked stronger than ever. From the opening round, he suffocated Della Maddalena (27-2) with relentless grappling pressure, maintaining top control for long stretches and chaining together submission attempts that left the Australian with no breathing room.
“This is the dream all my life,” Makhachev said afterwards. “No weight cut, five rounds, and I can do whatever I want. I made this fight look easy.”
While Della Maddalena entered the fight riding an eight-bout UFC win streak and making his first title defence, he found no success against Makhachev. Even during the limited moments on the feet, the Russian nullified his striking, disrupting rhythm and shutting down any potential momentum.
Makhachev’s victory also tied him with UFC legend Anderson Silva for the second-longest winning streak in company history at 16. The triumph further extends the legacy of the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, whose blueprint of ground dominance continues to shape Makhachev and former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“This was my plan—everyone knows it, and nobody can stop it,” Makhachev said.
Della Maddalena, who hadn’t tasted defeat since 2016, showed toughness but simply had no answers for the suffocating wrestling and positional mastery that defined all five rounds.
After securing his second world title, Makhachev didn’t call for a specific challenger but instead made a bold request: he wants to headline the proposed UFC event at the White House in 2026.
“Open the White House—I’m coming,” he declared.
With dominance at lightweight and now welterweight, Islam Makhachev’s march toward MMA immortality is undeniably underway.
