Islam Makhachev, Jack Della Maddalena's Next Best Fights After UFC 322 Results
Islam Makhachev ran over Jack Della Maddalena in a one-sided unanimous decision victory to win the welterweight title and become a two-division champion at UFC 322.
Della Maddalena showed toughness in surviving several submission attempts and brutal leg kicks. But he didn't have much to offer a fighter who has continuously made the argument to be the top fighter on any pound-for-pound list.
Now comes the hard part.
Defending the welterweight title is no easy task. The UFC 322 card showcased the ridiculous talent that is in the division right now with Michael Morales and Carlos Prates both scored huge knockout wins on the card.
So let's take a look at what could be next for the new welterweight champion.
Makhachev's Next Best Fights
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Who do you feed to one of the most dominant fighters in the sport right now?
The undefeated boogeyman who has finished 18 of his 19 fights is a good place to start. Shavkat Rakhmonov has built a ton of hype. If it weren't for injuries and a string of inactivity, he would have already fought for the title.
However, it must be acknowledged that he hasn't fought in 2025 and it's hard to allow him to skip the line. However, a unanimous decision win over Ian Machado Garry the last time he fought along with his undefeated record would make it pretty easy to sell the fight.
If you want to make the activity argument then Michael Morales is the next best bet. Coming away with a win over Sean Brady gives him a leg up on Rakhmonov as he also has a 19-0 record with wins over Gilbert Burns and Neil Magny before knocking out Brady.
If we're looking at name value then Kamaru Usman has to be recognized. The former champion came back to the welterweight division with a convincing win over Joaquin Buckley.
At 38, the time is running out for him to make one last run at the title and his name still carries weight. That could be enough to jump the line.
Della Maddalena's Next Best Fights
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JDM might have come up short against Makhachev, but that's far from a career-killer. Few have had success against the champion and the Australian slugger has proven himself to be one of the best in the division.
A quick way to remind fans of that would be to get a fight against the winner of next weekend's welterweight clash between Belal Muhammad and Ian Machado Garry.
Muhammad is making his first appearance since losing the belt to Della Maddalena. Machado Garry has been one of the biggest rising names in the division for a while. The winner would be right back in the title mix.
The other option is to take on the boogeyman that no one wants to see. Shavkat Rakhmonov's inactivity could cost him the next title shot. The only way around that is to get back in the cage with a win.
Della Maddalena has has success against grapplers before. It's a tough ask, but handing the Russian his first loss would get him right back in line for a title shot.
The easiest path might be working toward fellow UFC 322 fighter Leon Edwards. The aging veteran is a striker who will stand and exchange with the Australian after fighting a grappler like Makhachev that could be a welcomed change of pace.
