UFC 315: Jack Della Maddalena talks Belal Muhammad, Islam Makhachev
UFC 315 headliner Jack Della Maddalena talks to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn ahead off his welterweight title fight vs. Belal Muhammad in Montreal.
Jack Della Maddalena is days away from fighting for one of the most storied titles in UFC history against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, and he is fully prepared to take advantage of the opportunity.
Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will challenge Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) for the welterweight champion in Saturday’s headliner at Bell Centre in Montreal (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). He can become the first Australian to claim the strap previously held by the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Matt Hughes and Kamaru Usman.
Initially, Muhammad was expected to defend against Shavkat Rakhmonov. An injury prevented that matchup, and Della Maddalena instead got the call. It’s his return to competition from a career-long layoff, but the 28-year-old is ready to thrive.
“It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve competed,” Della Maddalena told MMA Junkie. “I’m itching to get in there. I love competing. I’m really keen to get those fight feelings, get another win and obviously get that championship belt and outclass Belal.”
After starting his professional run with back-to-back losses in early 2016, Della Maddalena has rattled off 17 consecutive wins, with 14 by stoppage. He is known for his knockout power, but with Muhammad bringing a legitimate takedown threat, the challenger has trained for all scenarios to win.
“Obviously my first line of defense is stopping the takedown,” Della Maddalena said. “I think I can do that. The more I can stop that initial takedown, it’s going to make it easier for me. I’m ready to go off my back. I’ll be the one attacking. I believe I’ve got some tricks to get back to my feet. That’s where I want to be, but first line of defense is 100 percent stop the takedown and make the fight a lot easier for myself.”
Although Della Maddalena intends to “outclass” Muhammad, he isn’t taking anything for granted. He knows it can be a competitive fight, but also one that has a definitive ending.
“Expect high level MMA in this fight,” Della Maddalena said. “Two guys very confident and I think we both think we can win it as much as the other guy, so it’s going to be a good fight, a competitive fight, but I’m going to get him.
“I think that has to be how it goes down. Knockout, get the belt, perfect scenario.”
