Evoking the memories of his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev etched his name deeper into UFC history on November 16, 2025, by dismantling Australian contender Jack Della Maddalena to capture the welterweight title at UFC 322.
The 33-year-old Russian phenomenon, already the lightweight kingpin, held Della Maddalena in a rear-naked choke in the third round to claim his 14th consecutive victory, elevating himself to the rarefied air of multi-division champions.
The main event at T-Mobile Arena unfolded like a textbook on ground control, with Makhachev wasting little time in dragging Della Maddalena to the mat early and often. Della Maddalena, a striking specialist with a 17-2 record entering the bout, found himself overwhelmed by Makhachev’s suffocating top pressure and seamless transitions, landing just 12 significant strikes across nearly 12 minutes of action.
‘I told him before the fight – your stand-up won’t save you here,’ Makhachev said post-fight through an interpreter, flashing a rare grin as the crowd erupted. The choke came at 3:47 of Round 3, forcing an immediate tap and prompting UFC president Dana White to dub it ‘one of the most one-sided title wins I’ve seen.’
Makhachev’s ascent has been nothing short of meteoric. Hailing from Dagestan’s rugged mountains, where he honed his sambo roots under Nurmagomedov’s watchful eye, the fighter once dismissed as a lightweight pretender has now amassed a UFC record of 14-1, with his lone defeat a controversial 2015 split decision to Adriano Martins.
Since reclaiming momentum with a five-fight tear through the lightweight division, capping it with knockouts of Dustin Poirier and submission of Alexander Volkanovski, he’s defended his 155-pound strap three times. The latest welterweight conquest, at 170 pounds, vaults him into an exclusive club alongside icons like Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier, becoming just the 11th fighter to hold gold in two UFC divisions simultaneously.
The victory wasn’t without its undercurrents.
Della Maddalena, a rising star from Australia’s Perth known for his Muay Thai flair, had earned his shot with back-to-back stoppages over Kevin Holland and Sean Brady. Yet against Makhachev’s elite wrestling, despite boasting a takedown accuracy north of 60% in his UFC tenure, the Australian managed only fleeting moments of separation, spending over 70% of the fight on his back.
Medical reports post-event confirmed no major injuries for either man, though Della Maddalena’s camp hinted at a rematch clause invocation down the line. Reactions poured in swiftly from the MMA world. Nurmagomedov, in a heartfelt Instagram post, called Makhachev ‘the standard now – better than me, hungrier.’
McGregor, ever the provocateur, tweeted a concession laced with challenge. ‘Dagestan takedown machine rolls on. But welterweight? That’s my old playground. Let’s dance soon.’
Analysts on ESPN’s broadcast panel marveled at Makhachev’s adaptability, noting his striking volume has doubled since 2023 while maintaining takedown chains that border on unbreakable.
Meanwhile, Makhachev wasted no time eyeing bigger prizes. In his octagon interview with Joe Rogan, he name-dropped Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad as potential unification bouts, but the real intrigue swirls around a superfight with welterweight mainstay Colby Covington or even a cross-division clash with Jon Jones.
With a professional ledger now at 28-1, Makhachev’s next defense could headline UFC 330 in March 2026, per early scheduling whispers from the promotion. As the confetti settled and the sold-out crowd of 20,000 chanted ‘Eagle!’ in homage to his lineage, Makhachev stood tall not just as a champion, but as the architect of a new era in UFC’s pound-for-pound hierarchy.