Jack Della Maddalena recently defeated Belal Muhammad to claim the welterweight title. Now, his coach is predicting a knockout victory over the man who currently sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings, Islam Makhachev.
Fresh off his title-winning performance this past Saturday at UFC 315 in Montreal, Della Maddalena is now slated to face Islam Makhachev. Makhachev is set to vacate his lightweight title to move up to the 170-pound division for this future matchup, according to an announcement from UFC CEO Dana White.
Makhachev boasts an impressive 27-1 professional record, has secured five consecutive UFC championship wins, and has not suffered a defeat in nearly a decade. Despite this formidable resume, Della Maddalena`s coach, Ben Vickers, expressed strong confidence not only in his fighter`s victory but specifically in a finish inside the distance.
Speaking to Submission Radio prior to the official announcement of the fight, Vickers mentioned reviewing footage of Makhachev, particularly his recent fight against Dustin Poirier. While he previously watched Makhachev as a fan, he now views him as a potential opponent and stated, “I think Jack will knock him out.”
Makhachev`s bout against Dustin Poirier saw moments where Poirier found success before ultimately succumbing to Makhachev`s grappling game in the fifth round. Vickers believes Della Maddalena can exploit similar weaknesses he observed when they contend for the welterweight title.
Citing moments from the Poirier fight, Vickers noted that Makhachev appeared affected by early strikes. “The first jab [Makhachev] took—Poirier only hit once in the first round—and the first jab he took… he was wincing and rubbing his eye,” Vickers said. “I just feel like he’s not used to taking damage,” Vickers commented, suggesting Makhachev struggles with tough fights and a high pace. He also recalled that Makhachev has been knocked out previously.
Vickers pointed out Della Maddalena`s size advantage in the matchup, viewing the fight against Belal Muhammad as ideal preparation. Vickers claims to see vulnerabilities in all fighters and considers Della Maddalena “the complete package,” highlighting his skills, durability (“the chin”), and determination (“just the pure will and grit to get the job done”). “I feel very confident going into that fight,” he added.
Recognizing Makhachev`s frequent reliance on wrestling to control his fights, Vickers anticipates a heavy grappling approach against Della Maddalena. He noted Della Maddalena`s much-improved takedown defense against Muhammad and stated preparations would be made for an even more formidable grappling attack from Makhachev.
Conversely, Vickers expressed doubt that Makhachev could adequately prepare to deal with Della Maddalena`s striking prowess.
“One thousand percent,” Vickers responded when asked if he expects immediate takedown attempts from Makhachev. He argued that five years of dedicated striking training wouldn`t suffice to match Della Maddalena, whom he called a “thoroughbred striker.” Vickers asserted that Della Maddalena would “piece you up on the feet, especially when he’s bigger than you.”
Comparing styles, Vickers described Makhachev as a more traditional striker than Belal Muhammad, whom he found “quite a hard puzzle to figure out” due to unconventional movement. Vickers concluded with a direct message to Makhachev: “good luck. Work more on your striking.”
While an official date for the Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev bout has not been set, there are potential pay-per-view slots remaining in 2025 where it could fit. The coach expressed hope the fight materializes, calling it “damn intriguing,” particularly following Della Maddalena`s recent career-best performance.
Vickers concluded by reiterating his prediction: “I’ll say it now: I’ve got JDM winning it.”
