Islam Makhachev dominates Jack Della Maddalena to claim 2nd UFC gold

Islam Makhachev def. Jack Della Maddalena via unanimous determination (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) – to triumph welterweight title. Dagestani is present a two-division UFC champion. At UFC 322 successful Madison Square Garden, the erstwhile lightweight king moved up to 170 pounds and defeated reigning welterweight champion Jack Maddalena by unanimous determination to seizure the title. 

Coming in, Maddalena was riding an 18-fight winning streak and defending his loop for the archetypal time, portion Islam Makhachev entered connected a 15-fight teardrop of his ain aft a ascendant tally astatine lightweight. The matchup was billed arsenic classical striker vs. grappler, and from the opening minutes Islam Makhachev made it wide which accomplishment acceptable would regularisation the night. Repeated level changes, well-timed entries and relentless concatenation wrestling enactment Jack connected the mat again and again, forcing the champion to combat disconnected his backmost for astir of the contest. 

Whenever the combat did enactment standing, Della Maddalena had flashes of occurrence with his boxing, but Islam Makhachev’s unit and menace of the takedown blunted immoderate momentum earlier it could build. On the ground, the Dagestani prima mixed smothering apical power with dependable ground-and-pound and the changeless hint of submissions, ne'er allowing the Australian the abstraction helium needed to crook the tide. Media scorecards, including MMA Fighting’s, had it a shutout 50–45 for Islam Makhachev, reflecting conscionable however one-sided the champion’s show appeared. 

When the last horn sounded, determination was small uncertainty astir the result arsenic Islam Makhachev was announced the victor by unanimous determination and crowned the caller UFC welterweight champion. The triumph cements him arsenic 1 of the era’s defining fighters and strengthens his lawsuit successful immoderate pound-for-pound debate, adjacent arsenic he’s openly hinted helium could discontinue connected the proposal of mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov wrong the adjacent fewer years. The Sun+1 Jack, meanwhile, loses his loop but remains a unsafe unit astatine 170 pounds and an contiguous contender to ascent backmost toward different rubric shot.