Islam Makhachev didn’t just walk out of UFC 322 with another belt; he also left with a moment that sparked a strange sense of déjà vu. The fight itself was dominant, with the type of five-round domination that has become his trademark by now. But it was what happened following the final horn that made people stop and look twice.

It was a moment Ariel Helwani couldn’t stop thinking about as Makhachev climbed the cage, two belts over his shoulders and Madison Square Garden roaring around him. Something about the scene, the pose, the timing, and the venue’s history looked almost too familiar. The more he compared it, the more uncanny it became. When confronted with the image, even John Kavanagh immediately saw the same thing.

UFC tried to recreate the iconic Conor McGregor moment with Islam Makhachev

On his The Ariel Helwani Show, the host pointed out that Islam Makhachev’s celebration looked “like the exact same picture” as Conor McGregor‘s legendary two-belt moment at MSG a decade ago. “Top of the cage, the two belts… it’s literally the same shot,” he told guest John Kavanagh.

With UFC 322 celebrating the tenth anniversary of McGregor’s victory, the symmetry of it felt almost choreographed. As Helwani said, “I don’t know if they were doing it on purpose or not.” And how did Conor McGregor’s coach react to it? He, too, sees the eerie similarity, as he said on the interview, “Now that you say that, definitely.”

But the similarities didn’t stop at the photo. Makhachev overpowered Jack Della Maddalena in a style that resembled Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s smothering dominion over the division, demolishing the champion until the 50-45 scorecards were a formality. Then, as if the world wanted the flashback to be complete, chaos broke loose outside the cage.

A brawl in the stands occurred between Dillon Danis, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, and Magomed Zaynukov, forcing security and police to intervene in a scene eerily reminiscent of the notorious UFC 229 post-fight melee. Dana White responded to the incident during his press conference by stating that Danis will be banned from future UFC events. However, that punishment might not be enough, according to the new UFC double champion.

Islam Makhachev demands a bigger Dillon Danis punishment

Islam Makhachev didn’t appear surprised that Danis had re-entered the chaos again; in fact, he sounded like someone who had been waiting for this moment to circle back. The altercation at Madison Square Garden, in his opinion, was not a spontaneous outburst; it was the long-awaited collision of years of trash talk finally catching up with Danis.

And as a result, the Dagestani phenom believes a simple UFC ban wasn’t close to enough. Speaking after becoming a two-division champion, he addressed the event with a level of honesty that exceeded Dana White’s stance on the matter. “When you talk about someone for the last five years…when you meet them, you have to answer for what you said,” he said, implying Danis had gone over the line long ago.

He pointed out that the BJJ star had continued to criticize his team over the years, and Saturday night was simply the culmination of those statements. And that’s where Makhachev drew the line even more firmly than the UFC CEO. “He has to be banned from this country also,” he stated, dismissing the idea that banning Danis from future events would solve anything. Danis, according to Makhachev, was more than just an annoyance to the company; he was a lingering problem that called for a stronger border all around.