Why Jack Della Maddalena sees Islam Makhachev's striking 'easier' than Belal Muhammad's
UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena points out the differences in Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad's game.
Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) dethroned Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) to become welterweight champion in the UFC 315 headliner earlier this month in Montreal. With Makhachev vacating his UFC lightweight title for a move up to 170 pounds, he is expected to challenge Della Maddalena later in the year.
While Della Maddalena sees Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) as the better overall fighter than Muhammad, he explains why he sees his striking as less of a problem.
"I think Islam Makhachev is a better version of Belal," Maddalena told "The West Sport." "I think his striking on the feet is easier than Belal, because he'll stay in one stance. He's more a traditional style. But yeah, he's a pound-for-pound No. 1, so it's a tough fight. But we'll watch all his fights again, make a solid game plan and just start working on it from pretty much now."
Della Maddalena will likely have to impose a similar game plan as his fight with Muhammad, where he was able to stuff the majority of his takedowns and outstrike him on the feet.
"I'm going to start working on ways to beat him, different ways to get back on my feet and stuffing the takedown," Della Maddalena continued. "But I'm pretty confident I can get this one done. After the last two fights, I've spent a bit of my time in Wollongong. So yeah, I think probably the first stop, we go to Wollongong, talk to Volk, see what he reckons."
Volkanovski fought Makhachev twice in UFC lightweight title bouts. Although he lost both times, he was able to push Makhachev to the brink in their first fight at UFC 284.
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