Jack Della Maddalena is enthusiastic about the prospect of defending his welterweight title against Islam Makhachev.
Maddalena is set to compete for the welterweight championship against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 next month. There`s considerable speculation that lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is waiting for the outcome of this fight to decide his next move. Makhachev`s friendship with Muhammad means he`s unlikely to move up to welterweight if Muhammad wins the title. However, if Maddalena is victorious, it`s widely believed that Makhachev will be the first challenger. Maddalena is perfectly fine with this scenario.
“That would be great,” Maddalena mentioned on the Grin Reapers YouTube channel. “Especially if it happens in Perth. Considering Volk, it would add an interesting layer of narrative. We`ll see what unfolds. First, I need to get past Belal, and then, I believe, opportunities will naturally arise.”
Volkanovski and Makhachev have a significant history, with Makhachev winning two lightweight title fights against Volkanovski in 2023. While Maddalena and Volkanovski aren`t from the same training camp, they both represent Australia and have trained together on occasion, most recently when Volkanovski was preparing for his UFC 314 title defense against Diego Lopes. Maddalena holds Volkanovski in high regard and recognizes his importance to Australian sports.
“In my opinion, and I might be biased as an Australian, he`s possibly Australia’s greatest athlete,” Maddalena stated. “He’s definitely in that discussion. Perhaps if he hadn`t won his last fight, he wouldn`t be as easily placed in that category, but after his recent victory, he absolutely deserves to be considered.”
Maddalena will headline UFC 315 against Belal Muhammad on May 10 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
