Overview
- Makhachev dominated Jack Della Maddalena with four takedowns and more than 19 minutes of control to win a unanimous decision and become a two-division UFC champion, tying Anderson Silva’s 16-fight UFC win streak.
- The new champion said he feels stronger and better recovered at 170 pounds and named Kamaru Usman as his preferred first defense, calling the former champion “still dangerous.”
- Usman welcomed the callout and, with both fighters managed by Ali Abdelaziz, observers note that negotiations could be straightforward.
- SportsBetting.ag lists Usman as the favorite to be Makhachev’s next foe, with Michael Morales, Ian Machado Garry, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ilia Topuria, Belal Muhammad and Carlos Prates also on the board.
- Morales knocked out Sean Brady in the first round and Prates stopped Leon Edwards, while Saturday’s Muhammad–Garry matchup in Qatar is expected to further sort the contender order; separately, Valentina Shevchenko retained at flyweight and Amanda Nunes said she intends to drop to 125 for a trilogy.