NEW YORK — Islam Makhachev walked into fight week with a swollen black eye, a brutal weight cut behind him, and one goal: prove he could dominate at welterweight just like he did at lightweight. On Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, he did exactly that.
The 34-year-old star from Dagestan put on a clinic, defeating Jack Della Maddalena by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) to claim the welterweight title. With the win, Makhachev becomes the 11th fighter in UFC history to capture belts in two divisions and ties Anderson Silva’s iconic 16-fight win streak.
Della Maddalena entered with a slight size advantage — one extra inch of height — but it didn’t matter once the cage door closed.
Each round followed the same script: Makhachev marched forward, Della Maddalena tried to fire back, and then the Aussie champion was lifted into space and slammed onto the canvas. Once on the ground, he spent most of his time staring up at the MSG jumbotron until the horn saved him.
Those stand-up moments were supposed to be where Della Maddalena shined. Instead, Makhachev looked sharper than ever. In Round 3, he nearly landed the same hook-to-head-kick combo that knocked out Della Maddalena’s mentor, Alexander Volkanovski, back in 2023. The kick missed — but the message didn’t. Makhachev’s game keeps evolving, and the division still has no answers.
Round-by-Round Recap
Round 1 — 10-9 Makhachev:
Della Maddalena opened aggressively, trying to pressure Makhachev early. But at 3:55, Makhachev shot in and effortlessly snagged a single-leg takedown. He nearly secured the champ’s back as the crowd roared. Della Maddalena survived the round, but the warning signs were clear.
Round 2 — 10-9 Makhachev (20-18):
Terrified of the takedown, Della Maddalena froze on the feet, allowing Makhachev to rip calf kicks before slamming him down again. With JDM pinned on the mat, Makhachev looked for a choke and hammered him with heavy shots. Size advantage or not, the champ looked helpless off his back.
Round 3 — 10-9 Makhachev (30-27):
Della Maddalena finally got the stand-up exchange he wanted and landed a strong inside combo. But the takedown threat was always lurking. Makhachev timed it perfectly, planting him on the mat and controlling the rest of the round. At this point, the champ needed a miracle.
Round 4 — 10-9 Makhachev (40-36):
Different round, same story. Makhachev dragged the fight to the canvas mid-round and smothered Della Maddalena from the top. As one reporter joked, it felt like someone was copy-and-pasting the same sequence over and over.
Round 5 — 10-9 Makhachev (50-45):
By the final horn, it was impossible to imagine any judge giving Della Maddalena a single round. His only small victory was simply making it to the scorecards. Makhachev chased a finish several times, but the decision was academic — the belt had already changed hands.
Makhachev, once again, looked unstoppable. He walked into Madison Square Garden bruised and battered from camp, then walked out as a two-division champion with history tied and more possibly on the way.
