Jack Della Maddalena Can Beat ‘GOAT’ Islam Makhachev in Rematch, Says Coach Ahead of UFC Perth Return

Ben Vickers, the coach of Jack Della Maddalena, believes his student can beat Islam Makhachev despite the suffering defeat last time.

Jack Della Maddalena Can Beat ‘GOAT’ Islam Makhachev in Rematch, Says Coach Ahead of UFC Perth Return

Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev [via Reddit and UFC.com]

In Short
  • Jack Della Maddalena lost his title to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322, where he struggled against Makhachev's grappling.
  • Coach Ben Vickers believes Maddalena can defeat Makhachev in a rematch, despite Makhachev being considered the GOAT.
  • Maddalena is set to face Carlos Prates this weekend, aiming for a victory to position himself for a potential title shot.

Jack Della Maddalena had his title reign cut short at UFC 322 by Islam Makhachev. The Australian welterweight had dominated Belal Muhammad in his previous fight to win the title, only for the Dagestani to move up and deny Maddalena his first title defense. His coach, Ben Vickers, recognises the incredible talent of Makhachev but still believes his protege can get the job done in a rematch.

Jack Della Maddalena was undefeated in the UFC until Islam Makhachev entered the fray at welterweight. The Australian had shown incredible ability to scramble and deny takedowns to wrestlers. His showing against Belal Muhammad was particularly impressive as he almost completely shut down his grappling while dominating him in the striking.

After this fight, few expected Islam Makhachev to dominate Jack Della Maddelena from pillar to post. However, when the fight came around, Maddalena and his corner seemed to have no answer for Islam Makhachev’s dominant grappling. Even so, Ben Vickers believes his student can eventually topple the pound-for-pound number 1, even if he is the GOAT.

For me to sit here and go, I still think Jack can beat him, probably with the same game plan we had the first time around. People will start to think you’re slightly crazy or delusional, but we firmly believe it, and our belief has got us this far. So it’s not going to change. And all due respect to Islam, he’s the GOAT for a reason.

Ben Vickers on Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev

Vickers saying Maddalena can still beat Makhachev speaks to how much he believes in his student. Yet the matchup at UFC 322 did not go their way in the slightest.

Makhachev controlled the former champion for all 5 rounds to secure an easy unanimous decision victory. In fact, it led to fellow UFC fighter Dricus Du Plessis lamenting that such fighters need to be figured out, harkening back to his own title defense against Khamzat Chimaev. So, their game plan probably does need some tweaks.

Nonetheless, Jack Della Maddalena is still gunning for revenge. The Australian welterweight recently echoed his coach’s sentiment in still wanting a rematch against Islam Makhachev. Even so, he will need to curb that instinct for the time being as he takes on Carlos Prates this weekend. Speaking of which, Jack Della Maddalena knows exactly how his upcoming fight is going to go.

Jack Della Maddalena predicts upcoming Carlos Prates fight

UFC Perth will be the first time Jack Della Maddalena will get back into the octagon since losing his title. With Prates riding the high of an eye-catching knockout win over former champion Leon Edwards, the odds are stacked against the Australian. However, Maddalena believes he knows exactly how this fight will go.

Jack Della Maddalena
Jack Della Maddalena [via MMA Mania]

The Australian will face Prates this weekend with the advantage of having a home crowd. As such, he promised “fireworks” in the octagon to his home crowd in an interview with MMA Junkie. JDM believes the fight will go long before eventually ending via knockout.

Both of us get into a violent flow. I think it’s gonna be fireworks. There’s definitely not gonna be much dancing around. I think the first minute we’re definitely gonna engage. We’re gonna engage and see who’s the better fighter and then build into the five rounds… I think I’m gonna take him out, fifth round. I’m gonna get the finish deep in the fight.

Jack Della Maddalena talks about the Carlos Prates fight

The winner of this fight would likely be one win away from a title shot. For Prates, a win over a former champion would do wonders for his case for a title shot. On the other hand, Jack Della Maddalena will benefit greatly from beating a surging contender.

However, given the litany of title challengers for Islam Makhachev, the road to the title may be longer than either Prates or Maddalena expects. Nonetheless, a win at Perth would be invaluable to both at this stage of their careers.

Also Read: