Makhachev Wins UFC Welterweight Title from Della Maddalena

Jack Della Maddalena's brief reign as UFC welterweight champion ended in decisive fashion on Saturday night, as Islam Makhachev dominated the Australian over five rounds to claim the title in the main event of UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Makhachev, a former lightweight champion moving up in weight, controlled the fight with superior grappling, taking Della Maddalena down four times and accumulating more than 19 minutes of control time in the 25-minute bout. Della Maddalena, who had entered with an undefeated 8-0 record in the UFC, managed only 30 significant strikes and fended off multiple submission attempts but offered little offense of his own. The judges scored it unanimously for Makhachev, marking the Dagestani fighter as the 11th in UFC history to win titles in two divisions.

The loss snapped Della Maddalena's 18-fight winning streak, which included a stunning upset victory over Belal Muhammad to capture the belt at UFC 315 in May. That triumph had propelled the 29-year-old from Western Australia to the top of the 170-pound division, with prior wins over contenders like Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland. Heading into UFC 322 as the underdog, Della...