Capturing the welterweight title by dethroning dominant competitor Belal Muhammad back in May, Jack Della Maddalena takes to the cage once again this weekend at UFC 322. Endeavoring to defend his strap for the first time at the storied Madison Square Garden stadium, the Aussie will lock horns with previous lightweight juggernaut Islam Makhachev.
For nearly three years, Makhachev ruled atop the 155-lb rankings as a remarkable champion, garnering four defenses with astounding victories over Alexander Volkanovski twice, Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano. Undefeated for over a decade, the Dagestani legend will now attempt to pursue further glory up a division to become the 11th athlete ever to claim two UFC championships.
For his freshman appearance as the welterweight gold standard, Jack Della Maddalena will cross paths with easily one of the greatest fighters the promotion has ever seen. While many pundits expect the European to come out on top with his hand raised, “JDM” has already proven that his skill set as a mixed martial artist is world class no matter where the fight goes. In the main event this coming Saturday, Della Maddalena will be competing to not only retain his position at the head of the pack at 170-lb, he will also be aiming to solidify his place in the annals of combat sports history with an upset for the ages.
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Now, let’s take a look at what Jack Della Maddalena needs to do to win against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322.
Jack Della Maddalena’s Keys to Victory: Keep the Bout at Boxing Range
Over the course of his steady rise to belt-holder status, Jack Della Maddalena has demonstrated a superb proficiency with his striking, averaging at least 60 significant blows in most of his contests in the UFC. This sterling ability to outbox his opposition has led to the Australian standout to take home a slew of bonuses, including four Performance of the Night awards, giving him plenty of cash to have a Neosurf casino instant withdrawal. It was in his headlining clash with the aforementioned Muhammad at UFC 315 that the Aussie’s hands captured the world’s attention by landing 200 hits, the most the American had ever absorbed in his entire career.
In his upcoming tussle with Makhachev, the reigning welterweight apex will need to avoid the long kicking range of his opponent and close the distance to keep the tilt at arms length. As seen in his matches with Volkanovski and Poirier, the Russian thrives when he is able to dictate the pace and space between him and his adversary, leading to the competition rarely landing anything meaningful on him.
To his massive credit, however, Jack Della Maddalena boasts one of the biggest significant strikes landed per minute stat among all active UFC fighters, clocking at 6.84, as well as a three inch reach advantage over Makhachev. This colossal amount of attacks delivered will be the champion’s most important tool come this next weekend. If he can make sure to shut down foe’s kicks by implementing constant forward pressure with his boxing, then one of the previous lightweight titan’s best weapons will be out of commission.
Jack Della Maddalena’s Keys to Victory: Avoid Grappling, Keep the Contest Standing
Although Jack Della Maddalena will have a noticeable edge when it comes to striking, Makhachev brings a particularly large advantage in his top-tier grappling. Born and raised in the famed Caucasus region of Europe, the Dagestan native has lived almost his entire life on the wrestling mats, where he has shaped himself into an icon of the sport with the help of his countryman Khabib Nurmagomedov. In his tenure with the UFC, Makhachev has accumulated a total of 1:20:45 of control time, which is the eighth most amount garnered of any lightweight in company history, along with eight wins by submission.
Despite holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there is no reality that Jack Della Maddalena can surpass his challenger’s aptitude for wrestling.
While the main goal of his in the bout will be to keep close to Makhachev and break him down with his striking, he will need to be observant as to not overextend and leave himself open to get brought down. In the most important challenge of his life, the champion has enlisted the aid of BJJ superstar Craig Jones, who also helped Alexander Volkanovski for his tilts with the Russian.
Showcasing improved defense by denying six of Muhammad’s nine takedown attempts, it appears that “JDM” has put in the work recently to refine his ground game.
