Jack Della Maddalena is confident that his size will be too much for Islam Makhachev to overcome in their inevitable title clash.
As a lightweight, Makhachev’s strength and stature proved to be a problem for practically everyone. But now, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ is stepping into a whole new world. After watching JDM snatch the welterweight title away from Belal Muhammad in May, Makhachev announced that he would be vacating his 155-pound crown in a bid to move up and challenge Della Maddalena for his newly-won gold.
Oddsmakers are already favoring Makhachev to come out on top, with lines currently listing Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege as a 2-to-1 favorite over the Aussie. However, Della Maddalena sees things a little differently.
During an in-cage interview at Eternal MMA 97, JDM suggested that Makhachev may be a bit undersized for the welterweight division, and vowed to exploit that to exact revenge for his countryman, Alexander Volkanovski.
“Yeah, it’s the dream first title defense—pound-for-pound number one,” Della Maddalena said. “Get him back from V. We saw what V did to him. I’m going to get him. He’s too little. He’s too little! I’m going to get him!”
Can Della Maddalena Do What ‘The Great’ Couldn’t?
Volkanovski famously moved up twice from his post as the featherweight champion to challenge Makhachev for the lightweight championship in 2023. The first time around, Volk nearly pulled off the upset, delivering one of the best fights of the year.
Unfortunately, their second scrap wasn’t near as close. Stepping in on short notice, ‘The Great’ suffered a brutal head-kick KO just past the three-minute mark of the opening round, effectively ending his dreams of becoming the fifth fighter to hold two UFC titles simultaneously.
Makhachev went on to submit both Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano before relinquishing his lightweight belt to try and conquer another weight class.
No official announcements have been made regarding when and where Makhachev will meet Della Maddalena, though the Dagestani recently suggested that the UFC’s return to the world’s most famous arena — Madison Square Garden — could be the perfect setting for their highly anticipated showdown.
