Daijiworld Media Network – New York
New York , Nov 16: Islam Makhachev secured a unanimous decision victory over Jack Della Maddalena to win the 170-pound championship and equal the UFC record of 16 consecutive wins at UFC 322 held at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Makhachev dominated the five-round contest with superior grappling, repeatedly taking down Della Maddalena and neutralising his offense to earn a clean sweep of 50-45 on all three judges’ scorecards.
Makhachev, now 28-1, vacated his lightweight title earlier this year after four successful defences to pursue gold in a second weight class. With this win, he joins an elite list of male UFC fighters who have captured championships in two divisions, including Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre, Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones. Calling it the fulfilment of a lifelong dream, Makhachev said he had always envisioned holding two belts.
Jack Della Maddalena, who entered the bout with an 18-fight win streak and was making his first title defence since defeating Belal Muhammad in May, walked out of the cage without giving a post-fight interview. His loss marked a disappointing end to what had been one of the strongest runs in the welterweight division.
In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko retained her 125-pound championship with a unanimous decision win over Zhang Weili in a bout that never fully ignited despite being marketed as a clash between two of the best pound-for-pound women’s fighters. The five rounds unfolded largely on the canvas, drawing boos from the crowd and ending with a subdued reaction. Zhang, a former two-time strawweight champion who vacated her 115-pound belt to take this fight, fell short in her bid to join Amanda Nunes as the only women to win titles in two weight classes. She declined to confirm whether she would return to her original division.
The victory was Shevchenko’s 11th title-fight win and marked her 60th career takedown, ending with Zhang flat on her back as the final horn sounded.
The event unfolded without the presence of President Donald Trump, a regular at UFC’s marquee cards. Makhachev nevertheless called him out moments after his win, saying he hoped to defend his new belt when UFC stages an event at the White House next year.
The evening also saw a chaotic moment outside the cage when a large brawl broke out near one of the arena tunnels, involving MMA fighter Dillon Danis. The scuffle spilled into the stands and briefly delayed the start of the pay-per-view broadcast as police and security intervened.
Earlier in the night, fans witnessed a flurry of quick knockouts as Beneil Dariush, Carlos Prates and Michael Morales all secured emphatic finishes. NBA star Jalen Brunson later posted on social media that he regretted skipping the event after watching the highlights.
There was also a notable debut victory for Ethyn Ewing, who stepped in on just two days’ notice after missing nearly 40 calls from UFC officials trying to reach him. Fighting only eight days after his previous bout, Ewing defeated Malcolm Wellmaker via unanimous decision, earning scorecards of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. Riding a nine-fight winning streak, the 27-year-old used his post-fight interview to appeal directly to UFC CEO Dana White for more opportunities inside the octagon.