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What’s Next: UFC Perth Losers

Bryson Hester — Mon, 04 May 2026 20:49:02 +0000

UFC Perth went down early Saturday morning for North American viewers as the promotion ventured to Perth in Western Australia. The Aussie-based card featured 13 fights with six of those bouts featured on the main card. In the main event, Carlos Prates took on the former UFC welterweight champ in Jack Della Maddalena. And in the co-main event a changing of the guard between long time ranked fighter, Beneil Dariush and 2024 Contender Series alum, Quillan Salkilld. This card’s edition of What’s Next: Losers features a wide variety of fighters in all different points in their UFC careers.

Jack Della Maddalena

(#5) Carlos Prates put on a fantastic performance as he out struck (#1) Jack Della Maddalena on his way to a violent third round finish in the main event of UFC Perth on Saturday. The loss was JDM’s second in a row after he lost a unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev last November, failing to keep Islam from reaching double champ status. JDM is now winless since defeating Belal Muhammad to capture the welterweight belt last May. He’s now 8-2 since being signed to the promotion off the 2021 season of the Contender Series.

JDM’s next fight should be against another former UFC welterweight champion, Leon Edwards. The matchup would line up too well. Both are strikers. Both former champs at 170lbs. And both were stopped in their last fight by Carlos Prates. They’ll be relatively close together when the new rankings come out. Only hang up here is that Leon last fought way back in November so timing wouldn’t matchup too well. But it could still work. These two were actually booked to share the octagon in March of 2025 before JDM rebooked. Leon is currently on a 3-fight losing skid stemming from his loss to Belal Muhammad in 2024. Excellent fight night main event here that would be sure to deliver.

I like this fight more than a potential Kamaru Usman matchup, as Usman is coming off a unanimous decision victory to Joaquin Buckley but has been on the shelf for nearly a year.

Maddalena’s next fight: (#8) Leon Edwards

Beneil Dariush

Quillan Salkilld smoked (#12) Beneil Dariush inside of the first round on Saturday to earn himself a performance of the night bonus. Dariush becomes the fourth first round finish and bonus winning performance for Salkilld in his now 5-fight UFC career. Beneil has now lost four of his last five fights and has been finished in the first round of each. Dariush was originally supposed to face (#14) Manuel Torres in mid-April but that fight fell apart after Manuel withdrew.

Beneil’s next fight should be against (#14) Manuel Torres. Dariush turns 37 on May 6th so this would fight would keep him against relevant (ranked) competition. Plus, the two were obviously the originally scheduled co main for UFC Perth. Torres is 5-1 with the UFC, all of his wins with the promotion have been within the first round and earned him a performance bonus. A pretty dangerous fight for Dariush at this stage in his career.

I’m leaning more towards a matchup against a fighter like Nasrat Haqparast depending on what happens with the rankings (lightweight rankings can be a little finicky sometimes). Haqparast is 10-5 with the UFC and was riding a 5-fight win streak before Quillan Salkilld starched him with a first round head kick last October. That fight could be on the main card of a fight night event and could offer absolute fireworks. Winner gets another shot back at the rankings.

Dariush’s next fight: Nasrat Haqparast or (#14) Manuel Torres

Tim Elliott

(#12) Steve Erceg extended his win streak to two on Saturday with his hard-fought unanimous decision victory over (#11) Tim Elliot. Elliot is now 2-2 in his last four fights and has an overall UFC record of 10-12 since he signed in 2012. Granted, it’s worth mentioning that both of those wins during this stretch (Sumudaerji and Kai Asakura) have earned him performance bonuses. Elliot turns 40 in December and still graces the rankings of the UFC’s flyweight division.

Pairing Tim up with the winner of Cody Durden vs. Ode Osbourne could offer a very fun veteran fight. Ode is 5-7 and 1 NC with the UFC while Cody is 7-8-1. Durden is rebounding from a 4-fight losing skid and picked up a victory opposite of Jafel Filho in his last bout. Osbourne has lost four of his last six. Backup option is to give Elliot (#15) Bruno Silva if he beats Edgar Chairez on June 6th. That would actually be the cleanest option here, the one that makes the most sense, but only if Silva gets the win on June 6th. Otherwise, matchmakers might lean towards squaring Tim off against an unranked fighter.

Elliott’s next fight: Ode Osbourne vs. Cody Durden winner or (#15) Bruno Silva if he beats Edgar Chairez

Ollie Schmid

Marwan Rahiki stayed perfect and extended his finish streak as he iced UFC newcomer Ollie Schmid on Saturday. Rahiki, a 2025 Contender Series alum was originally scheduled to take on Jack Jenkins. However, Jack had to withdraw from the fight after suffering an injury. 4-2 pro fighter, Ollie Schmid answered the short notice call while training for his HEX Fight Series 38 bout slated for May 30th.

Ollie’s second fight with the promotion should be against the loser of the Ramon Tavares vs. Kangjie Zhu fight. Tavares is 1-2 with the UFC since being signed off the 2023 season on the Contender Series. He is currently riding a 2-fight losing streak with unanimous decision defeats to Davey Grant and most recently, Jack Jenkins. Kangjie Is coming off of Road to UFC where he won three bouts. His fight with Tavares will be his UFC debut. Giving Ollie the loser of this fight makes a lot of sense and would give him a great opportunity to prove himself against a more evenly matched opponent with a full training camp. Timing would be decent as well as the pair are scheduled to fight on May 30th.

Schmid’s next fight: Ramon Tavares vs. Kangjie Zhu loser

Shamil Gaziev

Brando Percic delivered a stunning KO to punctuate his back and forth fight of the night winning heavyweight scrap with (#14) Shamil Gaziev on Saturday. The bout was pure excitement until it ended late in the second round. The defeat brings Shamil’s UFC record to .500 as he’s now 3-3 with the promotion. A far cry from the 11-0 record he entered the promotion with. After Gaziev’s first round defeat to Waldo Cortes-Acosta back in November, and the result in Perth, he is riding his first ever losing streak.

Shamil Gaziev’s next fight should be against (#15) Mick Parkin. Mick is a 2022 Contender Series alum that is 4-1 with the promotion since being signed. Parkin was last in action last March when he lost a unanimous decision to Marcin Tybura. Parkin recently withdrew from a fight against Mario Pinto that was scheduled for late March. Both guys are towards the bottom of the rankings and coming off of loses, so decent fight to make here.

Gaziev’s next fight: (#15) Mick Parkin

Tai Tuivasa

UFC Perth’s main card kicked off with a heartbreaker for fans in attendance as Louie Sutherland out grappled and neutralized fan favorite Tai Tuivasa over three rounds. Tuivasa, who once fought Cyril Gane in a title eliminator bout, has now lost seven in a row, actually stemming from that Gane loss in 2022. Tai hasn’t won in four years and has been finished in four of those seven defeats. Tuivasa is 8-12 with the promotion since being signed in 2017.

What to do with Tai here. What to do. Logic says he will almost certainly be cut. But I could see a scenario where he is kept around for just one more opportunity. It is the heavyweight division after all, and Tai is extremely likeable and just turned 33. Tai could potentially draw a fight with a guy like Sean Sharaf. Sean is 0-2 with the UFC and was the fighter originally scheduled to take on Tai at UFC Perth. Sean had to withdraw from the bout due to a broken nose. Sharaf’s UFC career has consisted of him being finished in the second round at the hands of Junior Tafa and Steven Asplund. Long story short, don’t be surprised to see Tai cut after this one, but if not, a do or die fight like this is what’ll be next.

Tai’s next fight: Cut or Sean Sharaf

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Carlos Prates Silences Perth Crowd with Brutal Finish of JDM

Eddie Law — Sat, 02 May 2026 14:10:12 +0000

Carlos Prates didn’t just win, he took over Perth.

In a violent, methodical performance at UFC Perth, Prates dismantled Jack Della Maddalena with relentless knees, elbows, and punishing leg kicks before sealing the finish in the third round, silencing the home crowd at UFC Perth and announcing himself as the #1 contender at 170 pounds.

Round 1 – An intense stare down set the tone before the fight even began, with both men clearly ready to go.

Maddalena took the center of the Octagon early, while Prates stayed light on the outside, using movement to neutralize Maddalena’s crisp boxing. Maddalena applied steady pressure, closing the distance to land to the body.

Prates, uncomfortable with his back near the fence, fired back with a flurry that pushed Maddalena off and forced him to reset on the outside. The two exchanged leg kicks before momentum shifted, with Prates beginning to press forward.

Finding his rhythm, Prates started landing clean counters, including heavy leg kicks that disrupted Maddalena’s forward pressure. Maddalena continued to march forward in search of combinations, but Prates circled well and picked his shots.

Just before the one-minute mark, Prates landed a massive knee that underscored his growing confidence after a strong opening round. Maddalena responded late, shooting for a double-leg takedown and securing top position with under 30 seconds remaining.

Round 2 – Maddalena came out for the second round looking to make adjustments, taking the center of the Octagon as Prates again worked from the outside. Prates, however, was sharper, throwing at a higher volume and with improved accuracy, punctuated by a nasty knee just past the four-minute mark.

Maddalena returned to basics, working behind the jab and mixing in leg kicks before shooting early for a takedown. He briefly got Prates down and even took the back, but was positioned too high and quickly shaken off.

Prates, fighting with his hands low, began firing combinations from all angles, forcing Maddalena into a high guard and limiting his ability to counter. Maddalena answered by backing Prates to the fence, landing a clean uppercut-right hook combination before dropping levels again and settling into a clinch.

That’s when Prates exploded. He unleashed a relentless barrage, knees, high kicks, punches upstairs, and heavy body shots, each landing with authority. Maddalena absorbed the damage and stayed upright, refusing to fold under the pressure.

A crushing leg kick from Prates forced Maddalena to switch stances, opening the door for an all-out assault. Prates poured it on with a step-in elbow, followed by a spinning elbow, and capped the sequence by dropping Maddalena with another leg kick right at the horn to close the round.

Round 3 – JDM appeared injured entering the third, switching to an orthodox stance after taking sustained damage to his lead leg from Prates. Maddalena pressed forward in search of grappling exchanges, but his takedown attempt was easily defended.

From there, Prates resumed his relentless offense, continuing to punish Maddalena with the knees to the head and body that had defined the earlier rounds.

A head kick slipped around Maddalena’s guard and dropped him. He managed to get back to his feet, only to be sent down again moments later, with Prates forcing him to stand and continue.

The elbows and knees remained a constant weapon for Prates, piling up damage throughout the round. Another crushing leg kick sent Maddalena to the canvas once more, this time for good. Prates followed him down and unleashed heavy ground-and-pound, forcing the stoppage and securing a dominant finish in enemy territory.

Following the bout Prates called for a shot at Islam Makhachev’s welterweight title.

Carlos Prates, ladies and gentlemen. You’ve been warned.

Official Result: Carlos Prates def. Jack Della Maddalena via R3 TKO, 3:17

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UFC Perth: Della Maddalena vs. Prates Weigh-In Results

Jay Anderson — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:54:05 +0000

The UFC is back in Perth, Australia this weekend and on Friday (local time) the official weigh-in for UFC Perth: Della Maddalena vs. Prates went down.

The main event of the Fight Night card saw Australia’s own Jack Della Maddalena looking to bounce back from the loss of his welterweight title to Islam Makhachev last year. The loss not only saw JDM lose gold but was the first defeat he’d suffered since back-to-back losses at the very start of his professional MMA career.

With names like Steve Erceg, Tai Tuivasa, Beneil Dariush, and Tim Elliott also on the card, there was plenty of talent from home and abroad set for action as well.

Weigh-in results for UFC Perth can be found below.

UFC Perth: Della Maddalena vs. Prates Weigh-In Results

Main card

Welterweight: Jack Della Maddalena (170) vs. Carlos Prates (170)
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush (156) vs. Quillan Salkilld (156)
Flyweight: Tim Elliott (126) vs. Steve Erceg (125.5)
Featherweight: Marwan Rahiki (146) vs. Ollie Schmid (145.5)
Heavyweight: Shamil Gaziev (264) vs. Brando Peričić (265)
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa (265) vs. Louie Sutherland (261)

Preliminary card

Middleweight: Cameron Rowston (185) vs. Robert Bryczek (186)
Light Heavyweight: Junior Tafa (205.5) vs. Kevin Christian (204)
Middleweight: Jacob Malkoun (186) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (190)*
Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse (135) vs. Vince Morales (136)
Middleweight: Ben Johnston (185.5) vs. Wesley Schultz (186)
Welterweight: Jonathan Micallefvs (170). Themba Gorimbo (171)
Lightweight: Dom Mar Fan (155.5) vs. Kody Steele (156)

* Meerschaert misses weight by 4 pounds. Fight continues with a 30% penalty.

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Jack Della Maddalena on Makhachev Fight: Came Up Against One of the Best

Jay Anderson — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:16:02 +0000

Welterweight Jack Della Maddalena will enter the UFC octagon this Saturday in the main event of UFC Perth, his first fight back after losing his 170lb title to Islam Makhachev last November.

That was a rather one-sided fight, with Maddalena (18-3) spending a whole lot of time on his back, and on the canvas in general, though he did go the distance.

Australia’s JDM admits that he wasn’t able to “implement those techniques to get back to the feet” against the grappling-heavy Makhachev. “The mindset wasn’t perfect in the fight, and I guess that’s what it’s about. I’ve always said anyone can win on any given night. Came up against one of the best and couldn’t get my game plan going.”

While Maddalena admitted that it “wasn’t the best performance” against Makhachev, he’s gone back, looked at what went wrong, and tried to fix what he could. That said, Carlos Prates represents “a different stylistic matchup this time. So looking forward to the performance.”

Prates has predicted a knockout victory for himself in the fight. Maddalena recognized his past success in that area. “I’m going to try my best not to let that happen.”

During Thursday’s UFC Perth pre-fight press conference, Maddalena expanded on what can be seen as his comeback fight.

“I can’t wait. It’s business as usual, but obviously extra pressure [fighting at home in Australia],” exclaimed Maddalena. “But pressure makes good performances – and that’s what’s coming.”

At media day, meanwhile, Maddalena touched on another welterweight contender, Ian Machado Garry, who was critical of his last performance. That’s a pairing the ex-champ would like.

“Yeah it would be a good match. I definitely think we’ll cross paths at some point. Yeah, we’ll see how he does against Makhachev when he gets the shot.”

Watch the full UFC Perth media day appearance by Jack Della Maddalena above.

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Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates Headlines UFC Perth on May 2

Jay Anderson — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 02:59:29 +0000

The UFC will return to Perth, Australia this May for a Fight Night card that now has a main event.

During Saturday’s UFC Mexico City broadcast, promotion officials announced that former welterweight champ Jack Della Maddalena (18-3) will take on Brazilian contender Carlos Prates (23-7) in the UFC Perth headliner.

The event takes place on May 2, 2026 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

After losing the first two fights of his professional MMA career, Maddalena went on an incredible 18-fight win streak that took him all the way to a UFC championship. Defeating names like Randy Brown, Kevin Holland, and Gilbert Burns along the way, Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad last May to capture welterweight gold.

His first title defense, however, would come against future Hall of Famer Islam Makhachev, who earned a dominant five-round decision win to hand JDM his first loss under the UFC banner.

Prates is 6-1 under the UFC banner, and is coming off a knockout of another former champion, Leon Edwards, last November. Prior to that, it was another knockout win for The Fighting Nerds star, as he connected with a spinning back elbow to put away Geoff Neal at UFC 319 in August.

No other fights have been announced or reported for the UFC’s return to Perth.

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What’s Next: UFC 322 Losers

Bryson Hester — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 22:24:27 +0000

UFC 322 went down on Saturday night at the historic Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The stacked card did not disappoint as seven of the 14 fights on the card ended with a finish. The main card featured a pair of champions from lighter weight classes moving up to attempt to hold another title.

In the main event, Islam Makhachev successfully topped welterweight champ, Jack Della Maddalena, to capture a belt in his second weight class. In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko bested Zhang Weili, denying one of China’s brightest from holding a title in another weight class. The feature prelim along with all the fights on the main card, save for the co-main and main events, ended with exciting finishes. A rare case of five ranked losers looking for matchups off of the 19th UFC card held in New York.

Jack Della Maddalena

Islam Makhachev smothered and shut out Jack Della Maddalena over the course of five rounds to win a unanimous decision and capture the welterweight title. The loss was Jack’s first in nearly 10 years, dating back to just his second professional MMA fight.

JDM will head back to the drawing board, with no chance for an automatic rematch. Jack should look to welcome back Shavkat Rakhmonov to the octagon for his next fight. Rakhmonov is currently ranked at #3 in the division, though he has not competed since December of 2024 with his unanimous decision over Ian Garry. Shavkat who is 19-0 as a pro and 7-0 under the UFC banner, competed injured during that bout. He took the year off rehabbing and should be fully recovered and back in the octagon in 2026. Who better to take on than the former champ? Puts JDM right back in the fire with another huge opportunity. Shavkat gets an immediate chance to show that he’s ready to fight for the title. Everyone wins.

A good backup fight would be giving JDM Ian Garry, who is scheduled to fight former welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, in the co-main event on November 22 in Qatar. If Garry beats Belal, like JDM did, the UFC brass should match him against Jack. Fans would love that striking matchup. Ian is currently ranked at #6 within the division. Both of these matchups have Fight Night main event written all over them with the winner likely landing a title shot.

Maddalena’s next fight: Shavkat Rakhmonov or Ian Garry (If he beats Belal next week)

Zhang Weili

Valentina Shevchenko put on a masterclass in MMA as she cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Zhang Weili at UFC 322 to retain her flyweight title. The loss snapped a five-fight win streak for the former Women’s Strawweight Champion. And she was thwarted in her attempt at double champ status.

Zhang wasn’t definitive with her answer when questioned if she would be staying up at 125lbs. Considering that Zhang is 36 and has all but cleaned out the strawweight division, for the sake of this article, we’ll assume she’s here to stay.

Best matchup for Weili at this point would be giving her another fight against Rose Namajunas. Weili is 10-3 in the UFC. She’s lost to Valentina, obviously, and to Rose- twice. Namajunas stopped Zhang in the first round of their first bout in 2021, before defeating her in a split decision just a few months later, as well. Rose would lose the belt in mid 2022 before moving up to 125lbs herself. Since moving up Rose is 3-2 with losses to Manon Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield. Rose is currently ranked at #6 in the division and was last in action against Miranda Maverick in June when she captured a unanimous decision win. This bout could easily be a main event or co-main event for a Fight Night card.

Zhang’s next fight: Rose Namajunas III

Sean Brady

Michael Morales quickly melted Sean Brady in the first round of their bout on the main card of UFC 322 on Saturday. It was a devastating loss for Brady who had been building momentum since 2022 when he was stopped by Belal Muhammad. Since that fight, Brady had won three in a row stopping Kelvin Gastelum and Leon Edwards. Brady entered the fight ranked at #2 in the welterweight division while Morales was ranked at #8.

A great next fight for Sean Brady would be to take on Joaquin Buckley. Buckley is ranked at #7 at welterweight. Joaquin was riding a six-fight win steak before he lost a unanimous decision to former welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, back in June over the course of five rounds. Buckley stopped Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington in the two fights prior to his bout with Usman. He’s on that level (Top 10), and giving him a game competitor like Brady is the perfect opportunity for both men who have impressive resumes but suffered blemishes to their records recently.

Brady’s next fight: Joaquin Buckley

Leon Edwards

Carlos Prates added to his highlight reel as he dropped and finished the former welterweight champ, Leon Edwards, on Saturday. Edwards has yet to reestablish his footing within the division since losing his title to Belal Muhammad in July of 2024. With the loss last night, Leon has dropped three bouts in a row and has been finished in his last two appearances. Edwards entered this fight ranked at #4 while Carlos was ranked at #9.

For his next fight, Leon needs something manageable. Not exactly a gimmie fight, but not a young hungry undefeated killer either. Gilbert Burns could offer the perfect opponent for ‘Mr. Headshot’. Burns, now 39 years old, has dropped his last four fights and been finished in two. His most recent fight was back in May when he was picked apart and stopped by Michael Morales. This matchup would work perfectly and would be a bout that many fans would look forward too as it is a striker vs. grappler matchup between two tenured skillful vets. This fight could be placed anywhere, main card of a PPV or potentially a main or co main event for a fight night card. A confidence builder for both.

Edwards’s next fight: Gilbert Burns

Beneil Dariush

The main card of UFC 322 on Saturday started with bang, as Benoit Saint Denis face-planted Beneil Dariush in just 16 seconds. Dariush has now dropped three of his last four fights. Beneil has been finished in the first round of all three of those losses. Beneil entered the fight ranked at #9 in the division while Benoit was ranked at #13. Dariush also has the misfortune of missing weight coming in at 157.2lbs. for the bout.

Beneil’s next fight should be a rematch against Mateusz Gamrot. Even with Gamrot ranked at #8 in the division, the matchup still makes a lot of sense. The pair fought in late 2022 and Dariush won a unanimous decision. Since that bout, Gamrot is 4-2 and Dariush is 1-3. If you look a little closer however, Gamrot is 1-2 in his last three fights. This is including a submission defeat to Charles Oliveira in his most recent fight last month. Bout was solid the first time and running it back now could be an even more interesting affair for fans. Grappler vs. grappler matchup that could land on nearly any card in 2026.

Dariush’s next fight: Mateusz Gamrot II

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Islam Makhachev: “Biggest day of my life”, Sees Challenges At 170

Dylan Napoleone and Eddie Law — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 16:35:23 +0000

Islam Makhachev cemented his place among the sport’s all-time greats on Saturday night, becoming a two-division UFC champion with a dominant welterweight title victory over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 inside Madison Square Garden.

In a building where legends are made, Makhachev delivered the kind of performance that echoes, methodical, suffocating, and undeniably elite, silencing doubts about his move up in weight and further solidifying his grip on the pound-for-pound throne.

“I feel so happy. It’s the biggest day in my life. So happy to be double UFC champion in Madison Square Garden,” Makhachev told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“What I told all fight week…It’s my dream today.”

Makhachev (28-1) controlled the fight from start to finish, taking Della Maddalena down at will and shutting down every offensive attempt that came his way. From the moment he secured the first takedown, Makhachev seemed to know the night belonged to him.

“When I take him down first time I feel it’s going to be long night, and I can do whatever I want in the ground. I expect for him like he gonna try to get up, but we (worked on this). We watched his old fights, he have a couple like sweep couple things in the ground, but I blocked him there. That’s why I made this easy,” he said.

Craig Jones, Della Maddalena’s jiu-jitsu coach, was in his corner at UFC 322, and Makhachev couldn’t resist cracking a joke with the famed black belt afterward.

“I told him your Jiu-Jitsu not working. You have to come to Dagestan for 2, 3 years. He start laughing. He told Khabib, I will come Dagestan,” Makhachev said laughing.

“Everybody want something. This is the (most) competitive division right now, welterweight. Lot of young guys who fought today. Kamaru (Usman), (Ilia) Topuria, you know. All killers want to take my belt,” he said.

“No, no, no. I don’t give it, no.”

The word “easy” has been floating around MMA circles in the hours since the fight, but Makhachev wasn’t ready to label it that way. He wasn’t sure where the performance ranked in his career, though he made it clear the training camp was one of the toughest he’s endured.

“Good question. This is the hardest camp, but fight, maybe. I beat Volk, and the last fight I choke (him). Today’s easy also, but I (didn’t) finish him,” he told Cageside Press.

Makhachev spoke openly about the bond he shares with his teammates, emphasizing that their success is built on loyalty rather than individual achievement. He said the real strength of their camp comes from showing up for one another, whether they have a fight booked or not.

“This is what I have to do to make them happy. We support and help each other. Not for the money, for the somethings, just…I win they happy. Same things when someone fight from our camp, our team, I go to help them. I don’t have fight, I just go to the camp, help them,” he told Cageside Press.

“We go to Dubai to support, to help, Usman (Nurmagomedov). We go all team. We (push) each other to become better. Not because of money. Because we’re all brothers.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Islam Makhachev above.

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UFC 322: Islam Makhachev Captures Second Title in Lopsided Decision Over Jack Della Maddalena

Jay Anderson — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 05:59:21 +0000

Islam Makhachev had a chance to make history, earning a belt in a second weight class. Jack Della Maddalena, the newly crowned welterweight champ, had a chance to establish his name, and knock off one of the pound-for-pound best, in the UFC 322 main event.

The welterweight title fight that arrived on Saturday in New York City capped off a thrilling night of action, with a number of explosive finishes that fight fans would not soon forget. Those performances might have been spectacular; Maddalena vs. Makhachev was very much about greatness.

Champ JDM had what could only be called an intense look on his face, as he prepared to welcome former lightweight champ Makhachev to 170lbs. Maddalena put the pressure on early, going after the challenger, throwing hands. Makhachev fired a front kick that hit air; Maddalena went to the body. Makhachev did land a few calf kicks, and a minute in, landed his first takedown of the fight.

In half guard, nowhere near the fence, Makhachev had ample time to work. He fired punches to the body and head. Maddalena nearly scrambled out, but gave up his back doing so. The champ scrambled to the fence, Makhachev still on him, but nearly found himself caught in a choke. Maddalena tried to escape out the back, but couldn’t quite make it. Makhachev wound up on top, in half guard. The Dagestani challenger worked for a guillotine, but Maddalena was able to avoid it. He fired upkicks at round’s end, with ref Herb Dean warning the champ that Makhachev was a downed opponent.

Maddalena fanned on a kick to open round two; Makhachev landed his. Makhachev nearly caught a kick, but the champ pulled free. Another leg kick landed for Islam. He then came close with a head kick. JDM clipped Makhachev on the way in, but that didn’t seem to deter the challenger. He tied up JDM along the fence, and soon had the takedown, as much a Maddalena defensive error as an offensive success. Maddalena was in effect upside down for a moment, in north-south, until they came out with Makhachev on top, in half guard. Tight along the fence, Maddalena had nowhere to go. Makhachev had three minutes on the clock.

Unable to scramble out or wall walk, Maddalena was in limbo. Makhachev would eventually get the pair away from the fence, still in full control on top. Maddalena fended off an arm-triangle attempt, but Makhachev dropping a few good elbows. Maddalena did make it to his feet after that, with all of ten seconds left in the round.

About a minute into round three, a Makhachev calf kick nearly took Maddalena’s legs out from under him. The champ then switched stances; a clinch ensued, with both fighters landing. Another leg kick from Makhachev, then a level change and a double-leg takedown. Maddalena appeared to have no answer for the wrestling of the Dagestani. When Makhachev couldn’t set up a choke, he mixed in some shoulder strikes. Then elbows.

More leg kicks softened up Maddalena to start round four. Then, 90 seconds in, came the shot for the takedown. Landed with ease. Maddalena topped over like a tower of cards. Makhachev controlled a wrist. JDM tried to scramble, but couldn’t extricate himself. Soon he had Makhachev on his back, hooks in. The rear-naked choke was in play. Maddalena turned, and the challenger transitioned to top. No finish, but another dominant round.

Another takedown came early for Islam Makhachev in round five. Maddalena, leg chewed up, seemingly had no answer for anything. The most that could be said was that he had avoided being finished. Makhachev worked from guard in this final round, added shoulder strikes, looked for a submission, but ultimately couldn’t put Jack Della Maddalena away. Not that it matters. After twenty-five minutes there was zero question that Islam Makhachev was the new UFC welterweight champion, and now a two-division champ following his lightweight reign.

Official Result: Islam Makhachev def. Jack Della Maddalena by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

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UFC 322: Maddalena vs. Makhachev Post-Fight Press Conference Live Stream

Staff — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 02:30:52 +0000

The UFC’s annual trip to New York City is always a big one, and Saturday’s UFC 322 was no exception.

With two massive title fights topping the card, it wasn’t hyperbole to say it was one of the biggest events of the year. More so for who was challenging for those titles than anything: Islam Makhachev had vacated his lightweight title to challenge for welterweight gold, while Weili Zhang had done the same at strawweight to land a fight with women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko.

No matter who won on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, history would be made, as both fights, belts be damned, amount to champ versus champ affairs.

With names like Gregory Rodrigues, Leon Edwards, Bo Nickal, Erin Blanchfield, Sean Brady and others also in action, the UFC 322 card was solid from top to bottom. A big performance by Blanchfield early in the night had the possibility of vaulting her into position for the next title fight following Shevchenko vs. Zhang, though Natalia Silva would no doubt have something to say about that.

Following UFC 322, tune in for the event’s post-fight press conference to stay on top of all the breaking news and storylines. A live stream of the affair can be viewed above.

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UFC 322: Maddalena vs. Makhachev Main Card Staff Picks

Staff — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 23:20:11 +0000

Aside from the sheer technicality of Islam Makachev and Weili Zhang having had to drop their titles to move up a weight class, UFC 322 would be headlined by two champ versus champ fights.

In reality, you can view them that way. In an unprecedented bit of booking, two long-serving UFC champions, Makhachev and Zhang, are moving up in weight to pursue second titles against Jack Della Maddalena (the promotion’s current welterweight kingpin) and Valentina Shevchenko (on her second reign as UFC women’s flyweight champ). On the same night, on one of the biggest cards of the year in New York City.

The reality is, had these moves come in an era with, say, less than 40+ UFC events, Islam and Weili might have held on to their titles. But the days of seeing a Conor McGregor or Daniel Cormier parading around the octagon with two titles are likely over, with the promotion no longer keen on having a division held up simply to build the legacy of an individual fighter. No matter how big a draw they might be.

In any case, a promising card awaited fans at Madison Square Garden on Saturday – and we’ve got our picks in! Read on to see how we see the main card playing out.

Writer / Fight	Dariush vs. Saint-Denis	Edwards vs. Prates	Brady vs. Morales	Shevchenko vs. Zhang	Maddalena vs. Makhachev
Eddie Law (128-72)
Alex Behunin (121-73)
Chris Prawdzik (89-58)
Mathis Desjardins (113-77)
Jay Anderson (117-83)
Brett Cagle (114-75)
Patrick Danna (38-30)
Mike Owens (0-0)

It seems like our crew feels there will be one title changing hands on Saturday. Islam Makhachev is heavily favored to claim welterweight gold, with only one writer responding siding with Jack Della Maddalena. That actually goes against the betting line, which sees the fight closer than our crew.

The night’s co-main event was a much closer pick, and we’re split 50/50 between Shevchenko retaining, and Zhang finding glory at flyweight.

The lone unanimous pick on the UFC 322 main card was Carlos Prates, with apologies to ex-welterweight champ Leon Edwards.

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