Jack Della Maddalena is open to facing Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title if he defeats Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, while expressing admiration for fellow Australian fighter Alexander Volkanovski.
Jack Della Maddalena’s all in for Islam Makhachev getting a shot at the welterweight title. Next month, he’s squaring off against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Rumor has it that lightweight champ Makhachev’s eyes are on this fight to decide his next move.
Makhachev and Muhammad? They’re tight. So, if Belal wins, no move up for Makhachev. But if Maddalena pulls off an upset, Makhachev might just be first in line to challenge him. And Maddalena’s cool with that.
“That would be nice,” Maddalena mused on the Grin Reapers YouTube channel. “In Perth. That would be a bit of a story, Volk [revenge]. We’ll see. Anything’s possible.”
Volkanovski, by the way, has quite the history with Makhachev—lost to him twice in 2023 for the lightweight title. Now, Maddalena and Volkanovski aren’t exactly teammates, but both hail from Australia and have trained together.
Maddalena holds Volkanovski in high regard. “In my opinion, maybe Australia’s — obviously, I’m a bit biased, but Australia’s greatest athlete,” he said. Winning this one definitely puts Volkanovski in the conversation.
So, mark your calendars: May 10 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. That’s when Maddalena faces Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 315.