Copyright Yardbarker
It’s a big night ahead for Jack Della Maddalena. The 29-year-old Aussie is set for his first title defense against Islam Makhachev atop UFC 322 on November 15 at Madison Square Garden. Earlier this year, he claimed the belt from Belal Muhammad, showcasing sharp takedown defense. Now, fans wonder if he can shock the world again. In the meantime, the Scrappy MMA fighter already has his sights set on even bigger goals. Ahead of his UFC 322 test, the undefeated welterweight spoke to the New York Post, revealing ambitions that stretch beyond Islam Makhachev. Surprisingly, his goal is to move up to middleweight and challenge the feared Russian, Khamzat Chimaev, for the latter’s UFC title. However, before making that leap, Maddalena says there’s one personal condition he needs to fulfill first. And it’s more than just beating Makhachev. Khamzat Chimaev is a distant dream Speaking to Scott Fontana of The Post, the 29-year-old was asked what kind of champion he envisions himself becoming—one focused on a long reign or one chasing two-division glory. His answer landed somewhere in between. “I would like to be a defending champion. I’d like to see a champion, sort of, at least like clean out a lot of the top 10 guys before moving up,” the Australian said, revealing his only condition before making the move. He went on to praise Makhachev for doing just that, adding, “I think he’s moved up at a good time, he’s done good work at lightweight.” The Russian’s resume backs that up, featuring wins over Dan Hooker, Bobby Green, Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski, and Dustin Poirier, among others. For Maddalena, he calls it “cleaning out the division” before stepping up to challenge him for the welterweight strap. “And I’ll try and do this, I’ll try and defend my belt multiple times before even considering changing division,” he added during the interview. Still, Makhachev left lightweight before facing names like Paddy Pimblett, Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, and Ilia Topuria—the latter entering the mix as Makhachev exited. Fontana then pressed Maddalena on whether he plans to move to middleweight someday. “Yeah, for sure. I think so,” Jack Della Maddalena replied, adding, “I would like to fight Khamzat Chimaev at one point if my career goes well, it’d be a good challenge.” Of course, before that dream fight can materialize, Maddalena will have to, as he said, “clean out the top 10,” which includes dangerous contenders like Sean Brady, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and Leon Edwards. For this to happen, though, he first has to get past Makhachev—is that possible? Jack Della Maddalena plans to surprise Islam Makhachev Jack Della Maddalena isn’t shying away from the challenge of facing Islam Makhachev at UFC 322. Instead, he’s planning to surprise him. The Aussie believes his grappling skills will catch Makhachev off guard. “He probably, in his best mind, would be thinking take me down, hold me down, and submit me,” Della Maddalena told Fox Sports Australia. “So, I think in the grappling, I’ll be able to surprise him. I believe I’ve got the right techniques for his sort of A-game. I think it’ll throw him off a bit.” Having successfully defended six of Belal Muhammad’s nine takedown attempts in his title win at UFC 315, the Australian is confident he can handle Makhachev’s wrestling-heavy approach. “I feel good, I feel like I got the right plan, and now it’s just a matter of putting it together on the night.” Having said that, while Maddalena’s plan sounds great, executing it might not be as easy. If he can overcome Islam Makhachev, ‘Borz’ might not be impossible to conquer either. Do you think he can?
