Jack Della Maddalena will take “vicious intentions” into his first UFC welterweight title defence in New York City this weekend, believing his boxing will carry him to victory over the more fancied Islam Makhachev.
Della Maddalena [18-2] will attempt to deny Makhachev [27-1] the honour of being the UFC’s 11th two-division champion when the two fighters meet inside the Octagon at UFC 322.
But he faces a mighty challenge to do so, with Makhachev having long maintained he would be more comfortable at welterweight, while the Dagestani is also riding the longest active UFC win streak at 15.
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Still, Della Maddalena is riding an impressive 18-fight winning streak – eight in the UFC – of his own, his all-round skill set key in his ascent to the welterweight title. And just like his victory over Belal Muhammad, the Australian sees attack as the best form of defense.
“I think it’s just going out there, fight the perfect fight and not settle in any positions, I think that is key,” he told ESPN. “And really be aggressive, you know, trust the fitness, go after him.
“Don’t shy away from the fight but go after him; not worry about the takedown but go after him with vicious intentions.”
ESPN commentator and former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping is one of many who have marvelled at Della Maddalena’s stand-up game, the Brit declaring the Australian was “the best boxer in the UFC” back in 2023.
Makhachev’s former lightweight rival Dustin Poirier, who was able to go deep into the fifth round of a title fight with the Dagestani, was another to see a path to victory for Della Maddalena via the 29-year-old’s striking.
UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena poses at Edge at Hudson Yards on November 10, 2025 in New York City Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC
“I think both guys are great at certain things,” Poirier told MMA Fighting. “It’s all going to come down to the takedown defense of ‘JDM.’ If he can get back up to his feet, if he can use the fence, or stay off the fence, use his boxing, I think he definitely could give Islam a lot of trouble in the center of the Octagon.
“He’s a great striker. He’s big and powerful.”
Asked why he had thought he had earned such rave reviews for his striking ability, Della Maddalena said: “I think maybe just my calm [demeanor], I’m happy to get into the pocket, happy to take risks — I trust that I can stay in the pocket and not get hit and land shots.
“I think that’s probably what people like, someone that’s willing to go into the pocket and walk the tightrope of trying to hit and not get hit.”
Della Maddalena has also been fortunate to train alongside featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who went the full 25 minutes with Makhachev at UFC 284.
While a rematch later in 2023 saw Volkanovski suffer a brutal Round 1 KO, Della Maddalena said there was plenty he could take from his countryman’s impressive performance in Perth in 2023.
“There [were] definitely things he was showing me that Makhachev did, obviously what he feels Makhachev was very good at, and maybe what he didn’t expect in the fight,” Della Maddalena told ESPN.
“It’s always good to learn from Volk, but then to learn from him when he’s discussing stuff, he’s actually been in with Makhachev over 25 minutes; so who better to help out than Volk?
“Anytime I’ve shared the room with Volk, I learn a lot, he’s an inspiring individual. He’s one of Australia’s greatest athletes, just being able to share the room with him is pretty special.”
And come Saturday night [ET], Della Maddalena hopes to have the local support on side as he looks to etch his own name into the storied sporting history of Madison Square Garden.
“I feel I’ve got the underdog mentality in this fight, and I feel like a lot of people get behind the underdog, that’s how I see it,” he said. “I think obviously the odds makers have me as the underdog, so yeah, I think being the underdog, I think people are getting behind me.”
