Athletes
Jack Della Maddalena Is Letting His Fighting Do The Talking
Australian Welterweight Jack Della Maddalena Hopes To Leap Into The Top-5 After A Win At UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2
In a division packed with larger-than-life characters, trash talkers and pound-for-pound stars, UFC welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena is making noise in his own way, with his performances.
Others may be louder, or cut vicious promos on the mic, but Della Maddalena has let his fists do the talking, and his displays inside the Octagon have turned the volume up to 11 as he has progressed from talented prospect to rising contender in the talent-stacked 170-pound class.
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Sitting down to chat with UFC.com ahead of his UFC 299 bout with longtime welterweight contender Gilbert Burns, the 27-year-old Aussie was understatedly excited about the opportunity awaiting him at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday night.
“I’ve had two years in the UFC and I'm going into my third year. I think it's a good start to a big year,” he said.
“I think I'm gonna crack into the top five and start the title contention journey.”
Della Maddalena admitted he was “stoked” to be facing Burns on such a big card, saying the Brazilian was a “legend” and a “good challenge.” It’s a matchup he thinks more than holds its own among such illustrious company on the UFC 299 card, and he hinted that fans could be in for something special when he throws down with “Durinho” on Saturday night.
"I think it stands out among the rest,” he said.
“Two people that bring it. Tough fight. Good division. It's gonna be nice.”
The matchup itself offers the 11th-ranked Della Maddalena the chance to surge up the welterweight rankings and, potentially, into the division’s top five.
“Just to be able to get the fight against top five guys is something I'm taking very seriously, and I accept the challenge head on,” he said.
“I think (the UFC matchmakers) appreciate my style and understand what I'm going to bring to the fight. I think they're keen to see how I go under tough circumstances.”
After earning his spot in the UFC with a decision victory over Ange Loosa on Dana White’s Contender Series, Della Maddalena went on a tear, winning his first four UFC fights in eleven minutes, eight seconds. None of his four opponents – Pete Rodriguez, Ramazan Emeev, Danny Roberts, or Randy Brown – made it past the fourth minute of the opening round.
The Perth native’s win streak extended to 16 fights with victories over Bassil Hafez and Kevin Holland, but both fights saw Della Maddalena go all the way to the judges’ scorecards to take the victories by split decision.
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The bout with Holland hinted at an all-out stand-up war, but it turned into a more technical, tactical affair, with Della Maddalena getting the nod.
When asked about what made that fight so different to his other bouts, he said, “Nothing really. Just a difference of opponent. Pretty long, rangy, pretty dangerous. But I thought I won convincingly.
“You can only deal with what's in front of you, and I thought I was expecting a good Mexican (style fight), stand in the pocket and throw big shots. But he sort of did it more like a point-scoring match, and it turned into more of a point-scoring match. But it was good. I enjoyed the experience.”
If the bout with Holland was cagier than expected, Saturday’s matchup with Burns hints at a return to chaos. Despite having arguably the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the division, Burns loves nothing more than to push forward throwing big strikes.
It’s a fighting style that Della Maddalena says he’ll take on with relish.
“I think he's aggressive. He throws caution to the wind and wants to throw big shots,” he explained.
“If I time my shots correctly, I think I can take him out, which not a lot of people have done. So, I look forward to it.”
Della Maddalena said he was a fan of reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards – “He’s got a cool style” – and admits he’d love to one day share the Octagon with him, even if it was in Edwards’ backyard in England.
But Della Maddalena knows that before he can start planning for a title shot, he’ll have to run the gauntlet and battle past a host of dangerous contenders who are jockeying for position at the sharp end of the UFC’s 170-pound division.
“I want to be active. I definitely want to get at least three fights in (this year),” he stated.
“Of all those names (at the top of the welterweight division), I think I'll fight them one day, and they're all good challenges.”
But for now, his sights are trained only on one man.
“Beat Gilbert, get into the top five and then, for sure, it's those next big fights,” he said.
“But I'm focused pretty tight on Gilbert Burns.”
UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2 took place live from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on March 9, 2024. See the final Prelims & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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