History was made on Saturday night when former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defeated Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight title in the main event at UFC 322.
Makhachev went up from lightweight to challenge Maddalena. This was Maddalena’s first title defense after defeating former champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May. Makhachev became the UFC lightweight champion in 2022 when he defeated Charles Oliveira. He then went on to defend the title four times, twice against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Here’s how their fellow UFC fighters reacted to the fight as it happened.
Volk in the corner of Jack madelena. Sick
— LERONE MURPHY (@LeroneMurphy) November 16, 2025
Leaning towards Islam but i think JDM can make it a fun fight and if he can stay off his back for a long time he deff has a chance. The first min will tell us everything imo #ufc322
— Billy Quarantillo (@BillyQMMA) November 16, 2025
Fighters and friends felt like the challenger, Makhachev, was dominating early in the fight and looked poised to be champion of a new division.
After watchingR1 you know Jack has lost his title #UFC322
— o2baby.s.n.a (@niiashieashaley) November 16, 2025
JDM is going for octopus sweep, but it might get him in trouble with the choke. He probably needs to abort that. #UFC322
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) November 16, 2025
UFC fighter Kevin Holland commented on the controversial, possibly illegal kick that closed out round 1 and went unnoticed.
Foul on the play
— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) November 16, 2025
Islam, by way of Khabib.
Wrestling Wins Fights!#ufc322— Clay Guida (@clayguida) November 16, 2025
Having Bjj with no wrestling is like having a gun with no bullets. zero takedown offense and offense is not going to work. Makhachev is making it look easy. #ufc322
— Dominick Cruz (@DominickCruz) November 16, 2025
Going into the championship rounds, many fighters thought the fight was essentially over with Della Maddalena likely down on the scorecards.
JDM is not fighting good.
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) November 16, 2025
Great performance by Islam mixing low kicks and takedowns in the open jack doesn’t know what’s coming
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) November 16, 2025
Islam Makhachev is one round away from cementing his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all-time #UFC322
— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) November 16, 2025
4-0
— Nazim Sadykhov (@naz_mma) November 16, 2025
Islam broke him he’s completely demoralized!!!
— Jamahal Hill (@JamahalH) November 16, 2025
Terrible cornering from jdm’s side
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) November 16, 2025
Fuck Islam looked like a bear out there them calf kicks really broke jack down
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) November 16, 2025
After the fight, athletes swarmed to social media to congratulate the new welterweight champion, who joins the ranks of just a few UFC fighters to hold titles in two weight classes.
Islam Makhachev is P4P #1. End of discussion #UFC322
— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) November 16, 2025
I don’t think anybody is beating Makhachev at 170. That was a domination!! #UFC322
— The Golden Boy (@edmenshahbazyan) November 16, 2025
Islam looked incredible, who gives him problems at 170lbs? #UFC322
— Arnold billy allen (@Arnoldbfa) November 16, 2025
Congratulations New welterweight Champion @MAKHACHEVMMA well deserved. 🦾✊
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) November 16, 2025
Reigning lightweight champion, Illia Topuria, had a lot of thoughts about the fight and didn’t hold anything back.
Jack needs an entire camp dedicated just to wrestling. What a disappointment of a champion. You should go to Georgia to learn something.
Islam, you need something you can’t train: emotion. You’re the most boring thing in this game. Every day I’m more certain I put you to sleep.— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) November 16, 2025