Islam Makhachev conveyed a commanding execution at Madison Square Garden, securing the UFC welterweight championship with an overwhelming unanimous-decision win over Jack Della Maddalena. The night, moreover, saw Valentina Shevchenko effectively protect her flyweight belt in the co-main event.
Moving up from lightweight, Makhachev looked totally dominant in the higher division. The previous 155-pound winner controlled all five rounds with tenacious weight, winning his 16th straight UFC triumph. From the opening minutes, Makhachev battered Della Maddalena’s legs with overwhelming calf kicks, at one point forcing him into his trademark hooking position, which kept the Australian stuck to the canvas and repeatedly led to debilitating submissions.
“This was precisely the plan,” Makhachev said a while later. “Everyone knows what I’m going to do, and they still can’t halt it.” He, too, communicated interest in making him begin with a title defense at a proposed White House occasion in 2026.
All three judges scored the bout 50-45, making Makhachev the 11th competitor in UFC history to claim gold in two isolated weight divisions. Della Maddalena, whose 18-fight win streak came to an end, left the Octagon without a post-fight interview. The misfortune led him to begin with a fizzled title defense after vanquishing Belal Muhammad earlier this year to win the welterweight crown.
Shevchenko Closes Down Zhang to Hold Flyweight Title
In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko once more revealed why she is considered one of the most prominent female warriors in UFC history. The Kyrgyzstan-born winner overwhelmed Zhang Weili over five rounds, gaining another clean clear on the judges’ scorecards, 50-45.
Shevchenko blended sharp striking with surgical hooking, rebuffing Zhang with body kicks and controlling the activity on the tangle at whatever point the Chinese contender attempted to mount offense. The triumph marked her 11th fruitful title battle and saw her become the first lady in UFC history to reach 60 career takedowns.
“I arranged for this as the hardest challenge of my career,” Shevchenko said after celebrating with her signature triumph move. “This is the genuine craftsmanship of military arts.”
Chaos in the Swarm and Dangerous Knockouts Kick Off UFC 322
Although previous President Donald Trump—often seen cageside at major UFC events—did not go, the swarm still saw tall dramatization some time recently when the battles indeed began. A huge brawl, including MMA warrior Dillon Danis, erupted close to one of the field burrows, spilling into the stands and causing a brief delay to the pay-per-view broadcast.
Once the card authority got underway, the activity came quickly. Beneil Dariush finished his battle in 16 seconds of the first round, Carlos Prates secured a knockout at 1:28 of round two, and Michael Spirits scored another horrendous wrap-up at 3:27 of the opening round.
