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Jack Della Maddalena is on top of the stacked welterweight division after the dominant win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. The Australian is now eyeing an even bigger challenge in Islam Makhachev after the biggest win of his career.
From the opening bell, Della Maddalena set the tone with his elite striking and surprisingly stout takedown defense to neutralize a proven wrestler in Muhammad. That performance has now opened the door to a super fight against Makhachev, the reigning lightweight king. The Dagestani was closely monitoring the UFC 315 main event, having confirmed that he wants a crack at welterweight gold if Della Maddalena gets the job done.
The Australian welcomes the idea, calling Makhachev the most deserving challenger despite the complications it might cause for contenders like Shavkat Rakhmonov. But can the Australian stop the wrestling of Makhachev?
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Exploring Jack Della Maddalena's skillsets against Islam Makhachev's elite wrestling skills
When analyzing a potential clash between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev, one element that stands front and center is Makhachev’s suffocating wrestling. The Dagestani boasts a takedown defense rate of 90.9% and ranks fourth in all-time top control with over 68 minutes in dominant ground positions.
Add to that his eight submission wins in the UFC, and you’ve got one of the most complete grapplers in MMA history. But Jack Della Maddalena isn’t walking into this unarmed. His recent title-winning performance at UFC 315 was a showcase of his evolution in the grappling department. Against Belal Muhammad, one of the most aggressive wrestlers in the division, Della Maddalena stuffed every takedown until the fourth round and bounced back up instantly after the few that landed.
That alone signals a new level of grappling confidence, most of which stems from his time with Craig Jones. The grappling wizard is known for dismantling traditional sambo and wrestling structures, most famously seen in Alexander Volkanovski’s first bout with Makhachev.
Della Maddalena thrives in scrambles and punches with precision inside tight windows. In the fight against Muhammad, he showed that he isn’t afraid to make a grappling exchange ugly.
His boxing is better than Makhachev’s in terms of accuracy and creativity. He’s also likely to hold a size advantage, especially in the clinch and striking range. He’ll look to do serious damage before any shot is even attempted.
Della Maddalena brings both the poise and tools to keep the fight standing or make Makhachev work harder on the ground than he’s used to.
What's next for Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev?
Now, with the title secured and the options laid out, Jack Della Maddalena is pressing for clarity. He’s ready to fight again within two months. He’s willing to go through Ian Garry, Shavkat Rakhmonov, or whoever the UFC lines up.
That being said, his goal is to fight Islam Makhachev next. The champion vs. champion angle is too big to ignore, and Della Maddalena is leaning into it. To make things interesting, he's also added the narrative of avenging his Australian counterpart Volkanovski's two losses to Makhachev.
He understands the frustration it could bring to the division’s pecking order, but he’s not shying away. He’s openly asking Dana White to make it happen, whether it’s Perth or Vegas. Della Maddalena wants the fight and the opportunity to plant his flag on top of the pound-for-pound mountain.
