Makhachev makes gentle of stepping up a weight class to beat Della Maddalena by unanimous determination.
Revealed On 16 Nov 2025
Islam Makhachev out-classed Jack Della Maddalena in a five-round beat-down to say a unanimous determination victory and win the UFC welterweight championship at Madison Sq. Backyard, with Valentina Shevchenko retaining her flyweight title within the co-main occasion.
Makhachev made gentle of stepping up a weight class after relinquishing the light-weight crown to chase a brand new problem, totally dominating his Australian opponent for 25 minutes together with his smothering grappling to say his sixteenth UFC victory in a row on Saturday night time.
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The 34-year-old softened up his 29-year-old adversary with calf kicks earlier than launching a relentless wrestling assault and Della Maddalena had no reply, getting caught on the mat coping with submission threats underneath large stress for lengthy durations.
“That is my plan. It’s not a secret, all my opponents know this, and no one can cease it,” Makhachev stated earlier than calling for his first title defence to be on the proposed event on the White Home garden in 2026.
All three judges scored the competition 50-45 as Makhachev grew to become the eleventh fighter in UFC historical past to carry titles in two completely different weight courses.
Della Maddalena – who ended an 18-fight profession win streak, that featured 14 finishes – walked out of the cage with out conducting the standard post-fight interview and misplaced his first title defence since he beat Belal Muhammad through unanimous determination in Might to wrest away the welterweight championship.
Within the co-headliner, Zhang Weili’s dream of becoming a member of the elite group of double-champions got here up quick because the wily Shevchenko out-pointed her in one other dominant efficiency to retain the flyweight crown.
Shevchenko (26-4-1) gained her eleventh total title combat as soon as she swept the scorecards 50-45 in opposition to Zhang.
Shevchenko displayed her full array of abilities, sniping at her Chinese language opponent and hurting her with punishing kicks to the physique, and taking her to the mat and controlling her each time she felt in peril.
The fighter from Krygyzstan grew to become the primary feminine UFC fighter to report 60 profession takedowns – and the combat certainly ended with Zhang on her again.
“I used to be getting ready for this combat as the toughest problem in my life,” Shevchenko stated within the cage after her customary victory dance.
“That is what I name the artwork of martial arts. When they’re right here in entrance of me, they can’t do something.”
The present went on with out an look from President Donald Trump, an in depth pal of UFC CEO Dana White, who usually has a cage facet seat for the tri-state space’s largest occasions.
UFC followers on the Backyard, although, did get an enormous combat effectively forward of the primary occasion when a large brawl broke out close to one of many tunnels used for combat entrances and spilled by way of the stands and close to press row.
The stir – which concerned MMA fighter Dillon Danis – had the group howling and induced a brief delay to the beginning of the pay-per-view card as police and safety tried to bust up the melee.
Fists continued to fly at a livid tempo as soon as UFC 322 actually acquired underneath manner.
Beneil Dariush (in 16 seconds of the primary spherical), Carlos Prates (at 1:28 of the second spherical), and Michael Morales (at 3:27 of the primary spherical) every gained with devastating knockouts to open the cardboard.
