Overview
- Makhachev dominated Jack Della Maddalena for a 50-45 sweep at UFC 322, controlling more than 19 of 25 minutes on top.
- Manager Ali Abdelaziz says the move to 170 pounds is permanent and that Makhachev will not return to lightweight.
- Makhachev and Abdelaziz publicly named former champion Kamaru Usman as the preferred first opponent for his welterweight title defense, though no bout is official.
- UFC rankings updated with Makhachev at pound-for-pound No. 1 and welterweight risers Michael Morales up to No. 3 and Carlos Prates to No. 5, with Usman at No. 8.
- Odds-makers list Usman as the next-opponent favorite as matchmakers also assess unbeaten threats like Shavkat Rakhmonov and Michael Morales, and Abdelaziz’s Topuria remarks and Danis’s lifetime ban keep tensions high outside the cage.