"Madison Square Garden is one of combat sports' biggest stages. Show off here, and the world will take notice. Islam Makhachev, the UFC's newest two-division champion, and Valentina Shevchenko, the undisputed flyweight queen, did just that -- show off. They weren't the only ones, either. Fan-favorite Carlos Prates is back in the championship picture, as is Michael Morales, who was not intimidated by the veteran Sean Brady, getting a first-round knockout and the respect of New York."
"Makhachev said he was going to be better at 170 pounds, but of course, I wanted to see it before believing it. What is a fighter going to say? That he's going to be worse in a new weight class? Makhachev told me a few weeks ago he felt he was about 60 to 70% of himself at lightweight because of the drastic weight cut. That sounded feasible, but really?"
"Makhachev destroyed Jack Della Maddalena's front leg with kicks inside two rounds. He took JDM down with an efficiency just as high as he did at lightweight. He looked strong, well-conditioned, healthy all week. It wasn't the most inspiring performance by Della Maddalena -- I expect even he will say that at one point -- but that doesn't take away from how good Makhachev looked. He's going to be hard to beat at welterweight, which we kind of anticipated."
Madison Square Garden served as a major platform where top UFC performances reshaped contenders' status. Islam Makhachev moved up to welterweight and displayed improved conditioning, devastating front-leg kicks, efficient takedowns, and overall dominance against Jack Della Maddalena. Makhachev looked healthier and harder to beat at 170 pounds, suggesting welterweight may be his best weight class. Valentina Shevchenko reinforced her position as the undisputed flyweight queen while maintaining distance and control. Fan-favorite Carlos Prates returned to title contention, and Michael Morales earned a first-round knockout over veteran Sean Brady, gaining New York's respect.
Read at ESPN.com
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