Makhachev's only rivals are history and...Topuria?
By securing his 16th straight victory to claim the Welterweight Championship, the Dagestani Lightweight Champion has now tied Anderson Silva's record. This achievement makes him a prime candidate for the UFC event at the White House in 2026, which was announced by Donald Trump.
Islam Makhachev raises his two championship belts.
Islam Makhachev completed his challenge to become a two-division UFC champion. The fighter, who vacated the lightweight title to challenge for the welterweight belt, was crowned one of the greatest ever after defeating Jack Della Maddalena by unanimous decision at New York's Madison Square Garden.
The Dagestani, who holds a record of (28-1, 5 KO) gave the Australian (18-3,12 KO) no chance during the five rounds of the fight. In the end, all three judges scored the bout 50-45 in favor of Makhachev.
With this victory, in addition to becoming the 11th two-time UFC monarch, Makhachev reached his 16th consecutive victory, equaling Anderson Silva's record, a mark he is poised to surpass in his next fight.
So far, no one seems to have found an answer to the Dagestani's superiority, and the UFC is rubbing its hands with a possible matchup against another of its legends, "El Matador" Ilia Topuria.
Makhachev joins Trump challenge to White House
For the time being, Makhachev volunteered to participate in Donald Trump's announced spectacle of a memorable UFC fight at the White House in 2026: "Donald Trump, come on, open the White House because here I come," said the Dagestani, in his post-fight interview alongside Joe Rogan.
"The belt is heavy, but I love it. I've worked so hard for this moment.... My life has changed. With no weight cut, I can do whatever I want, that's why I've made this fight look so easy. All my opponents know what I do, and no one can stop me (...) .
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