Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena — Fight recap

Islam Makhachev earned a unanimous decision over Jack Della Maddalena across five rounds on November 15, 2025, with referee Herb Dean officiating. Makhachev's grappling dominance defined the contest, landing all four of his takedown attempts while accumulating 19:10 of control time to Della Maddalena's zero.

The lightweight champion landed 30 of 57 significant strikes at 52 percent accuracy, including a perfect 10-for-10 on leg kicks that systematically broke down his opponent's movement. Della Maddalena managed only 18 of 61 significant strikes at 29 percent, unable to establish his striking rhythm or prevent the takedown entries.

Makhachev's wrestling-heavy approach—combined with efficient striking that targeted the body and legs—proved too suffocating for Della Maddalena, who failed on his only takedown attempt and never controlled the cage. The decision extends Makhachev's reign and reinforces that elite-level grappling remains the blueprint for lightweight championship success.