Australia is getting a third shot against Islam Makhachev.
It was confirmed in recent days that the newly-crowned UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena will be handed a daunting first test for his 170-pound title. Islam Makhachev, the (soon-to-be) former lightweight champion, confirmed that he will relinquish the world title in advance of a bid to become the latest member of the UFC’s two-division champion club againt the Aussie fighter later this year.
It will be the third time that the Russian fighter has shared the cage with a fighter from Down Under, following two wins over the current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in defence of his 155-pound crown.
But this time, it will be Makhachev who jumps up a division — and Della Maddalena says he intends to take some tips from his compatriot Volkanovski about how best to approach a title fight with the pound-for-pound great.
“Yeah, 100 percent, I definitely plan to,” Della Maddalena told The West Sport about his plans to confer with Volkanovski, as noted by MMA Fighting. “After the last two fights, I’ve spent a bit of time in Woolongong. So yeah, I think, [it will] probably be the first stop to go to Woolongong, talk to Volk, see what he reckons.”
Volkanovski has spent close to thirty minutes in the cage with Makhachev across two fights; losing a close decision in their first meeting before being knocked out in the first round of their (short notice) rematch.
But that said, ‘JDM’ adds that he has already formed an opinion of Makhachev’s style following his five-round title win against Belal Muhmmad this month.
“I think Islam is a better version of Belal,” Della Maddalena said. “The striking on the feet, I think it’s easier than Belal because he’s more… he’ll stay in one stance. He’s more [of a] traditional style, but yeah, he’s the pound-for-pound No. 1 so it’s a tough fight.”
He added: “I guess we will just watch all these fights again, make a solid game plan, then just start working at it. From pretty much now, I’m going to start working on ways to beat him, ways to get back to my feet, stuffing the takedown, but I’m pretty confident I can get this one done.”
