"The P4P best in the world" - Ariel Helwani makes huge Khabib Nurmagomedov statement after Islam Makhachev's UFC 322 win

Ariel Helwani recently shared his reaction to the Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena welterweight title fight at UFC 322 and made a bold claim about the Dagestani grappling savant's legacy in the promotion.

Makhachev went up against Della Maddalena in a welterweight title fight in the main event of UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. While many expected the Australian to push Makhachev to his limits, the former lightweight king dominated the fight with his grappling prowess over five rounds and ultimately got his hand raised via unanimous decision to become the new 170-pound champ.

Makhachev now joins an exclusive club of two-division UFC champions and is tied with Anderson Silva for the longest win streak in promotional history, with 16 consecutive wins on his record. Given his resume, Helwani believes Makhachev has surpassed his childhood friend and coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

In a video shared on X, the veteran MMA journalist shared his thoughts on Makhachev's title win and said:

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"Each round starts standing and shortly after there's a takedown. Jack Della [Maddalena] was just never able to get up. He was never able to do much on the ground. Toward the end of the fight, he looked defeated. He looked distraught. He looked deflated; his calf was messed up."

Helwani continued:

"He [Makhachev] is just so strong, he is so good, he is so dominant, he is so talented, and now he becomes just the 11th fighter in UFC history to win a belt in two different weight classes... He is the P4P best in the world, there's no denying that. He's slowly but surely going down as one of the greatest ever. In my opinion, he's now put his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, with this victory, very much in the rear-view mirror. He has surpassed him."

Edited by Nishant Zende.