Jack Della Maddalena: "It’s not easy” - Islam Makhachev shares brutally honest insight into move to welterweight ahead of Jack Della Maddalena clash

Islam Makhachev's plan to put on more muscle mass in preparation for facing larger opponents has not gone entirely according to plan. Makhachev recently admitted that he has struggled to put on weight since announcing his decision to move to welterweight.

The Dagestani fighter will hope to compete for the UFC welterweight title against champion Jack Della Maddalena in the near future. He vacated the lightweight title in May and announced his move to 170 pounds. Having shared his desire to become a two-weight world champion for several years, Makhachev believes the time is right for him to make his dreams a reality.

The 33-year-old was recently interviewed by MMAJunkie, where he said:

"I will try to be big. It's not easy, man. All my life I cut weight but now when I want to be big my weight stays in the same position. I try to lift more, we [did] some programs and slowly, slowly we [gained] 2 [kilograms] right now. It's very hard. But I don't want to be big [because of] food, eating and not training. I want to be [big] with muscles, I want to train, do the right lifting program and [gain] some muscles."

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Check out Islam Makhachev's comments below (13:20):

Dustin Poirier breaks down Islam Makhachev's chances against Jack Della Maddalena

Jack Della Maddalena secured the welterweight title against Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 315. It is expected that the Australian will face divisional newcomer Islam Makhachev in his first title defense. Della Maddalena will hold the striking advantage entering the matchup, having displayed some of the best boxing of any current fighter in the promotion.

Makhachev will hold the grappling superiority over his expected opponent, while securing three submission wins in his last five fights. One of those submission wins came against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, and 'The Diamond' has now broken down the Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev matchup.

Poirier's comments came during a recent interview with Mike Bohn, where he said:

"We'll find out first or second round how much trouble he has getting him down. I think if he gets those takedowns, he's going to get the win. If Jack can stop those takedowns, which he does have good takedown defense, I think the boxing and the size could wear on Islam and give him some problems."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments on Islam Makhachev's welterweight move below (49:50):

About the author

Liam is a MMA and Boxing writer at Sportskeeda. His journey into MMA journalism began with a high school diploma in 2017, but his passion for writing led him to diverse experiences, including internships in research and writing roles and accounting work.

Liam's fascination with MMA was sparked by Conor McGregor, with Dustin Poirier's bout against Dan Hooker in 2020 sealing his love for the sport. Poirier remains Liam's favorite fighter, whom he admires for his attitude, fighting style, and persona both inside and outside the cage. He is an advocate for the removal of the 12-6 elbow rule in MMA.

Liam strives to report precise and relevant information by cross-checking his work, reaching out to relevant sources for comments, and adhering to Sportskeeda's guidelines. His work has been recognized on popular MMA platforms, with his article headlines featuring in YouTube recaps and appearing onscreen during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.

Outside of work, Liam enjoys playing cricket, practising Brazilian jiu-jitsu, cooking, music, and reading.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi