Jack Della Maddalena Faced With Brutal Condition Over Islam Makhachev Welterweight Title Fight

 UFC pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev's manager warns Jack Della Maddalena ahead of a potential title bout. 

Jack Della Maddalena Faced With Brutal Condition Over Islam Makhachev Welterweight Title Fight

Islam Makhachev will fight for the welterweight title with or without Jack Della Maddalena (via Imago/X)

Islam Makhachev‘s only dream is to capture the second UFC belt and become one of the greats in the organization. The pound-for-pound king is ready to go to any extent for this goal, showing unmatched determination and relentless championship ambition. The fighter recently vacated his lightweight championship, leaving it on the line for other top contenders to battle for supremacy.

Now, the Dagestani has no belts, but he plans to change that before the year ends with a dominant return performance. Makhachev’s last outing was at UFC 311, where he defended the lightweight title a record four times and now remains eager to return. The fighter has already started his training camp and according to his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, he will fight regardless of Jack Della Maddalena’s readiness.

Islam will fight this year, regardless Maddalena is injured, not injured. This is word that is given to me by Hunter, by Dana. Islam can beat anybody but Jack Maddalena is the champion, Islam will fight him. If Jack is not ready, Islam will fight for the belt. Not the interim belt. For a real UFC belt.

Ali Abdelaziz via MMA Junkie

JDM’s win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 is the main reason Makhachev decided to move, impacting the lightweight division. Della Maddalena outclassed Muhammad with sharp striking and elusive movement, but got bloody in the process. However, there are no reports suggesting his injuries are serious enough to delay the title defense against Makhachev.

Ali Abdelaziz mentioned the UFC promised to strip JDM of the belt if injured, similar to what happened with Jamahal Hill. However, that may not be necessary as the newly crowned champion verbally accepted Makhachev’s challenge, asking for a fight in Perth. He wants to beat Makhachev, avenge Alexander Volkanovski, and boost his popularity by defeating the current pound-for-pound number one.

Previously, Makhachev was the clear favorite against Della Maddalena, but his clinical UFC 315 performance has changed fans’ expectations significantly. Apart from his crisp striking, he impressively defended most of Muhammad’s takedowns and quickly got back up each time. Now, many fans cheer for the Aussie superstar to break Makhachev’s undefeated fifteen-fight streak and destroy the Dagestani’s dominance.

Islam Makhachev’s manager addresses ‘ducking’ accusations 

The moment Islam Makhachev vacated the lightweight title, he also abandoned the much-anticipated superfight against Ilia Topuria. The Georgian-Spanish star is now scheduled to fight for the vacated lightweight title against former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Following the announcement, Topuria thanked UFC for the opportunity and accused Makhachev of running away from him. 

Islam Makhachev wasn't scared of anybody before leaving the lightweight division
Islam Makhachev wasn’t scared of anybody before leaving the lightweight division (via X)

As expected, it also started a narrative against the Dagestani, as many fans wanted Makhachev to face Topuria next. However, Makhachev has frequently mentioned that winning a second belt means more than simply beating another featherweight champion. Ali Abdelaziz also addressed the situation publicly and referenced Khabib Nurmagomedov’s career. 

When Khabib retired, people said Khabib ran because he didn’t want to go to welterweight, right? Now Islam goes to welterweight, they say he run from lightweight. You can’t win… I think Ilia should be very grateful to Islam. Islam vacated his title for him to become a champion. I think it’s an honorable thing to do, the same thing he did. And Islam is not afraid of nobody. I think it’s a statement for (Topuria) to make himself feel better. 

Ali Abdelaziz continued.

Like Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has also spoken about potentially retiring early after capturing the second UFC championship belt. The ideal plan for the Dagestani was to become the fifth simultaneous double champion, joining an elite club. However, things have changed, and for now, it’s interesting whether Makhachev beats Jack Della Maddalena or ends 2025 with no belt. 

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