Jack Della Maddalena’s title-winning run has come to an end at UFC 322, undone by an Islam Makhachev masterclass inside the octagon at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The Australian entered the bout as a heavy underdog despite Makhachev making his debut at welterweight as he sought to become a two-division champion.

And so it proved that Makhachev was simply too good, grappling his way to a unanimous victory for his 16th win in a row (28-1 overall) while becoming the first to defeat Della Maddalena (18-3) since May 2016.

Della Maddalena was overawed by the Empire State Building for a face-off earlier this week but showed no signs of stress during the lengthy introductions on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT).

But the pressure built quickly when Makhachev executed his first takedown jus

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