The middleweight title changed hands last weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Former lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev moved up to the 170-pound division to challenge then-champion Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC 322 main event.
Makhachev dominated the Australian winning all five rounds on the judges’ scorecards. He was able to consistently take Della Maddalena down and control him on the ground turning the bout into a one-sided affair. Makhachev joined the exclusive club of fighters who have won UFC titles in two different weight classes. For Della Maddalena, it was a learning experience.
On Thursday, Della Maddalena broke his silence for the first time since last Saturday’s loss to Makhachev.
“Thanks to those always supporting. Islam is one of the greats and deserved to win,” Della Maddalena wrote on Instagram. “I will learn and move forward.”
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Heading into his first title defense, Della Maddalena was riding an incredible 18-fight winning streak. It had been a decade since “JDM” had tasted defeat. Despite the loss, Della Maddalena remained the top ranked contender in the 170-pound weight class.
