Australian fighter Jack Della Maddalena suffered a crushing defeat in his first UFC title defence, falling to Islam Makhachev at Madison Square Garden.
Makhachev, who vacated his lightweight crown to move up to welterweight, entered the bout on a 15-fight winning streak and delivered a masterclass in grappling. Despite Della Maddalena’s confidence in countering Makhachev’s ground game, the Australian was taken down in all five rounds, with more than 18 minutes of the 25-minute fight spent under Makhachev’s control on the canvas.
Although Della Maddalena fought valiantly to avoid submission, he was repeatedly saved by the bell. The judges scored the fight 50-45 unanimously, cementing Makhachev’s place in history as only the 11th fighter to win UFC titles in two different divisions.
An elated Makhachev said after the fight: “This is a dream. All my life for these two belts. I’m really happy. My life has changed. No cutting weight, five rounds nonstop I can wrestle. I make this night so easy.”
The victory further solidifies Makhachev’s reputation as one of the modern greats, while Della Maddalena will now regroup and look to rebuild after the toughest loss of his career.
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