Islam Makhachev walked out of UFC 322 with the welterweight championship after overwhelming Jack Della Maddalena for the entire main event. Della Maddalena, who earned the title earlier in the year by defeating Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, could not keep up with the pressure and grappling control that Makhachev imposed from the opening moments.
The outcome itself was decisive, yet the reaction that followed focused heavily on the comments made before the fight by Della Maddalena’s grappling coach, Craig Jones. His joke aimed at sambo, suggesting the discipline was born from Judokas trying to grab each other’s pants, irritated many within the Russian community and the global sambo scene.
That moment led to a rare response from one of the sport’s most respected figures.
Fedor Breaks Down Makhachev’s Win And Addresses The Remarks
Fedor Emelianenko spoke with Red Corner MMA once the event concluded and gave his view on both Makhachev’s performance and the conversation surrounding the sambo comment. The legendary heavyweight made it clear he believed the coach crossed a line.
“Of course,” Emelianenko said when asked if Jones should address the situation.
He continued by praising Makhachev’s ability and the roots of his fighting style.
“Islam has a sambo background and he makes it famous. He said it himself in interviews, it was a good lesson from him so that they would not say bad things about sambo. Sambo proved to be one of the best bases for MMA.”
Emelianenko then pointed directly toward the coach who made the remark.
“Well, I guess everything fell into place, [Craig Jones], I do not even know what to say, he should probably give a sincere apology as his words have not been confirmed.”
“Islam once again proved that sambo is the best base for MMA” 🤼♂️
Russian MMA and sambo legend Fedor Emelianenko says Islam Makhachev’s recent victory can be counted as another win for Russia’s original combat sport, sambo. As Fedor, Islam and Khabib Nurmagomedov began their… pic.twitter.com/ot9ZYozhwI
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) November 19, 2025
Della Maddalena now returns to a welterweight field that moved dramatically during the same event. Michael Morales scored the most important win of his career with a knockout of Sean Brady, earning the third spot in the rankings. Carlos Prates recorded a major finish of his own by stopping Leon Edwards, placing himself in the top five for the first time.
Those shifts leave Della Maddalena with several possible directions. A matchup with Shavkat Rakhmonov has already been mentioned, as the Kazakh contender is preparing to return next year and has long been viewed as a stylistic challenge for anyone in the division.
