Jack Della Maddalena has stated he would be willing to defend his welterweight title against Islam Makhachev.
Maddalena is set to face Belal Muhammad for the welterweight championship at UFC 315 next month. There are strong rumors that lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is waiting to see the outcome of this fight to decide his next move. Makhachev is a teammate of Muhammad and reportedly would not move up to welterweight if Muhammad wins the title. However, should Maddalena win, it is believed Makhachev would be keen to challenge him first. Maddalena is comfortable with this possibility.
“That would be great,” Maddalena mentioned on the Grin Reapers YouTube channel. “Especially if it was in Perth. That would add an interesting narrative, Volk [revenge]. We`ll see what happens. First, I need to get past Belal, and then I believe opportunities will arise.”
Volkanovski has a notable history with Makhachev, having lost to him twice in lightweight title fights in 2023. While Maddalena and Volkanovski are not from the same training camp, they are both Australian and have trained together, including recently when Volkanovski was preparing for his UFC 314 fight against Diego Lopes. Maddalena holds Volkanovski in very high regard for his achievements and what he represents for Australian sport.
“In my opinion, and I might be biased as an Australian, he might be Australia’s greatest athlete,” Maddalena commented. “You would have to consider him. Perhaps if he hadn`t won his last fight, he wouldn`t be in that discussion, but after that win, he definitely has to be part of the conversation.”
Maddalena will headline UFC 315 against Belal Muhammad on May 10 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
