“Very Boring Fight” – UFC Legend Gives Heads Up to Fans Ahead of Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena 

UFC flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson believes that the fight between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena may be boring.

“Very Boring Fight” – UFC Legend Gives Heads Up to Fans Ahead of Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena 

Demetrious Johnson weighs in on Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena (via Instagram, Bleacher Report)

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Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena are set to meet in a championship bout that brings together two competitors from adjacent divisions at UFC 322. The stakes go beyond a routine title defense, given the weight-class implications and the shift in divisional hierarchy it guarantees. The bout has invited layered technical scrutiny, and Demetrious Johnson was the latest to weigh in on the fight.

Makhachev vacated the UFC lightweight belt in May 2025 to move up to the 170-pound division and challenge Maddalena for the belt. The Dagestani superstar had a dominant run at 155 pounds and defended his title against the likes of Dustin Poirier and Alexander Volkanovski. However, his ambitions to become a two-division champion inspired him to take on the welterweight champion.

There have also been many doubts about how the fight will play out and how Makhachev will fare at a heavier weight, given the contrasting styles of the two. The fight showcases Makhachev’s grappling and sambo against JDM’s boxing and strike-heavy style, a differentiator that has made many of their fights interesting to watch. Johnson recently analyzed the fight with popular MMA analyst, The MMA Guru.

It could be two things: either a very, very boring fight… or a very, very interesting fight. Mainly, why it could be boring is because if Islam is able to take down JDM and get his back and hold him there, grapple him, but the one thing I like about JDM is that he doesn’t accept the position when he gets taken down. He’s always looking to grapple, always looking to anti-wrestle; that’s what makes this fight exciting.

Demetrious Johnson via Mighty

Maddalena enters as the reigning welterweight champion with a resume defined by striking-led finishes. He has one submission in the UFC against Randy Brown at UFC 284, while his signature wins were produced on the feet. He has shown urgency to disengage grappling phases and return to striking space. UFC 322 becomes his official title defense after winning the title against Belal Muhammad in May 2025.

The Australian has already faced and handled grappling-centric threats at the championship level, including Muhammad’s wrestling-driven approach in their title fight. He also navigated the submission threat posed by Gilbert Burns, who is regarded as a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. In both matchups, he demonstrated the ability to survive control attempts and re-enter striking phases.

The result will determine whether Makhachev wins a second-division title in his welterweight debut or Jack Della Maddalena keeps control of the division. It will affect future matchmaking at 170 pounds and finalize the landscape created by Islam Makhachev’s exit from lightweight. Johnson’s comments highlighted that the fight could swing either way depending on who imposes their preferred conditions.

Fans react to Demetrious Johnson’s analysis of Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena

The announced welterweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena has quickly become the central talking point across MMA spaces online. The matchup, the divisional jump, and the timing late in the year have given fans several angles to debate. Demetrious Johnson’s weighing-in added fresh fuel to a discussion that was already active before his breakdown surfaced.

Demetrious Johnson's fight with Dana White (via MMA Fighting)
Demetrious Johnson (via MMA Fighting)

A portion of fans have turned their criticism toward people who immediately label Makhachev’s grappling style as boring, arguing that dominant control should not be dismissed simply because it suppresses action. Others counter that Johnson’s assessment reflects a realistic possibility given how Makhachev historically slows fights down once he settles top control.

The conversation has also shifted to what this discourse itself reveals about the sport. Some fans argued that the divide between valuing control and valuing action is a long-standing fault line in MMA that always resurfaces in champion-versus-champion fights. Others note that reactions to Johnson’s breakdown of Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena showed how quickly narratives solidify.

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