Right before UFC 322, UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski isn’t just sitting back watching events unfold with total disinterest — he is backing his countryman Jack Della Maddalena for his welterweight title defense against Islam Makhachev, and he was recently open about why Della Maddalena will shock the MMA world.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Volkanovski says it’s a wise pick to back the UFC Welterweight Champion after all.
“You can’t doubt him,” Volkanovski said. “He’s a welterweight, and you’ve got Belal, who’s a grappler-wrestler. Look how he handled that. He’s a beast on the feet. I guarantee you from that fight, his confidence in grappling and takedown defense has just gone to a whole other level.”
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Volkanovski says Makhachev’s striking defense won’t be able to handle the volume of Della Maddalena’s punches, something that made a significant difference when Della Maddalena became the new champion.
“JDM’s boxing and pressure that he can do, incredible,” Volkanovski said. “He can definitely get a finish. Islam’s great. Him moving up, I still think, is a nightmare for a lot of the people in the division. But I think JDM can do it.”
Volkanovski hopes to provide Della Maddalena with extra motivation ahead of the fight, planning to offer a sparring tune-up session in the weeks leading up to it.
“He’s going to be an absolute nightmare. I’m hoping to get some training in with him for this one, as well. We’ll tee something up, for sure. JDM – he’s a weapon. I know that Islam is not taking this one lightly, and he shouldn’t.”
Volkanovski shared the Octagon with Makhachev twice in 2023, taking the then-UFC Lightweight Champion the distance before suffering a closely-contested defeat in front of his native fans. Therefore, he knows where Makhachev’s main strengths and weaknesses lie.
Makhachev vacated the llightweight title earlier this year, while JDM snatched the welterweight strap in May from Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 to become the new champion by night’s end with a decision win.
Della Maddalena has previously described how he sees the fight playing out, offering his own two cents with the hopes of securing a KO in front of a potentially sold-out audience.
In about a month’s time, the world will find out whether the pair ends up on the correct side of UFC history.
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