Jack Della Maddalena is open to the idea of facing Islam Makhachev next, assuming he defeats Belal Muhammad to become the UFC welterweight champion next month.
Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is scheduled to face 170-pound champion Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) in the main event at UFC 315 on May 10. That fight has recently become a focal point in the lightweight title discussion.
155-pound champion Makhachev (29-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) has been holding off on announcing his next opponent. His mentor and coach, former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, said last week that the Dagestani team is eagerly awaiting the result of the welterweight title fight between Muhammad—who is a training partner of Makhachev—and Della Maddalena before deciding their next move.
“If Maddalena was the champion, Islam would fight him for sure”, Khabib told Adam Zubayraev in an interview on his YouTube channel. “As far as I see it, the UFC are waiting for the event in May where Belal and Maddalena are set to fight each other. I really want with all my heart Belal to win, but if Maddalena wins, I think the UFC may offer Islam this fight for the title at 170.”
Makhachev defeated Della Maddalena's fellow Australian, Alexander Volkanovski (27-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC), twice in 2023. This week, Della Maddalena revealed he would be open to the opportunity to avenge his friend’s losses—if he can get past Muhammad and win the welterweight title next month.
“That would be nice,” Maddalena said on the Grin Reapers YouTube channel. “In Perth. That would be a bit of a story, Volk (revenge). We’ll see. Anything’s possible. We get through Belal, and then I think, yeah, I guess opportunities will present themselves.”
Volkanovski’s losses to Makhachev came when the then-featherweight champion moved up to 155 pounds in a failed attempt to become a two-division champion.
Following his second defeat to Makhachev, Volkanovski suffered a devastating setback when he was knocked out by Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at UFC 298 last year, losing his 145-pound title in the process.
However, Volkanovski bounced back in spectacular fashion earlier this month at UFC 314, defeating Diego Lopes to reclaim the UFC featherweight title. Della Maddalena believes this achievement has cemented Volkanovski’s status as the greatest Australian fighter of all time.
“In my opinion, maybe Australia’s — obviously, I’m a bit biased, but Australia’s greatest athlete,” Maddalena said. “You’d have to put him up there. Maybe if he didn’t win this one, you wouldn’t put him in that list, but after winning this one, you have to put him in the conversation.”
Jack Della Maddalena takes on Belal Muhammad in the main event at UFC 315, which takes place at Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on May 10th.
