Nov 15, 2025; New York, NY, UNITED STATES; Islam Makhachev (blue gloves) fights Jack Della Maddalena (red gloves) in the welterweight championship bout during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

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UFC Legend Georges St-Pierre Gives His Ulfiltered Take On Islam Makhachev’s Dominant UFC 322 Performance

Not every dominant performance generates universal praise from fans and analysts. Some victories look more impressive on scorecards than they feel watching live. Grappling-heavy fights often divide audiences between hardcore enthusiasts and casual viewers. Critics always find something to complain about regardless of actual skill displayed. Islam Makhachev experienced exactly this phenomenon after UFC 322 last weekend.

The Russian dominated Jack Della Maddalena for five complete rounds convincingly. He became the 11th two-division champion in UFC history with the victory. Yet some corners of the MMA world dismissed his performance as boring. They wanted explosive finishes instead of technical excellence on display. Now, UFC legend Georges St-Pierre has given his take on Makhachev’s (28-1)performance with a passionate defense.

Georges St-Pierre Makes A Passionate Defense

Georges St-Pierre attended UFC 322 in person at Madison Square Garden. ‘Rush’ witnessed Makhachev’s masterclass against Della Maddalena from cageside seats. He appeared on Adin Ross’ podcast afterward to discuss what he saw. The Canadian legend didn’t hold back when addressing critics of the performance.

“I was there. I witnessed his performance last Saturday. It was freaking brilliant. Unbelievable. I don’t think he even took a punch. It’s unbelievable. A lot of people that were there said ‘oh, it was a decision’ people who say that, I am sorry, because they don’t know the art of fighting. They have no idea, they don’t understand the art of fighting.”

GSP defends Islam Makhachev and calls his performance "freaking brilliant" 🫡🔥

"I was there, I witnessed his performance. It was freaking brilliant. Unbelievable. I don’t think he even took a punch. People who say the fight was boring, I’m sorry, because they don’t know the art… pic.twitter.com/ioaR1cAncu
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) November 23, 2025

That’s a brutal assessment of casual fans who only appreciate finishes. The former two-division champion explained why Makhachev’s performance was actually remarkable. He felt that the despite the lack of finish, the skillset displayed was phenomenal, and that too going up a weight class.

That context matters enormously when evaluating Makhachev’s accomplishment honestly. Della Maddalena had been destroying welterweights with knockout power consistently. The Australian carried a dangerous reputation into the championship fight. Yet Makhachev made him look completely helpless for 25 minutes straight.

St-Pierre also weighed in on Makhachev’s place among the greatest fighters currently. He stated plainly that Makhachev is the number one pound-for-pound fighter alive. The Russian reclaimed that top spot after his UFC 322 victory. He surpassed Ilia Topuria in the updated rankings following the dominant performance. And GSP agrees with that assessment.

(Image Credit: Ed Mulholland – Imagn Images)

Georges St-Pierre

Islam Makhachev

UFC 322

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!