Jack Della Maddalena acknowledges that his upcoming clash with Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 is being framed as a classic striker-versus-grappler scenario, but he quickly dismisses this simplification.
He feels reducing the welterweight title fight to such stark terms undersells the capabilities of both fighters. While acknowledging the talk about Muhammad`s wrestling and endurance leading up to the fight, Della Maddalena notes that Muhammad himself often praises his own boxing skills, even joking about using “Canelo hands” to defend his belt.
For his part, Della Maddalena doesn`t deny Muhammad possesses the skills necessary to win, but the Australian fighter believes he simply excels in all areas slightly more.
Speaking about Muhammad, Della Maddalena stated, “He`s skilled at finding ways to win. So he`ll probably resort to whatever it takes. I don`t underestimate his striking, but I believe I can overcome him standing or on the ground. I genuinely think I`m a superior MMA fighter.”
“I wouldn`t want a pure boxing match with him,” he added. “I prefer MMA, the rules allow for kicking and elbows. I like being able to kick him and elbow him.”
Although Della Maddalena has built his reputation on delivering strikes with devastating power, he is aware that Muhammad is quite competent standing up.
Just three fights prior, Muhammad delivered a stunning knockout of Sean Brady and has improved further since. For this reason, Della Maddalena isn`t dismissing Muhammad`s stand-up ability, although he suspects the champion won`t choose to stay in striking range for long during their actual fight.
Della Maddalena described Muhammad`s striking as “fast. He has a rapid, slightly unconventional style which makes it effective. He doesn`t seem to put full power behind his shots, preferring quick snaps. This allows him to land touches and then transition to grappling, showing he`s a well-rounded fighter.”
“The fight naturally begins standing,” Della Maddalena observed, “so I expect him to try striking initially. If he feels comfortable and his quick, flicking punches are landing, he might stay there a while. But once he starts feeling pressure, I anticipate he`ll fall back on his core strength.”
His “core strength” is clearly Muhammad`s grappling prowess, which, combined with his ability to maintain a relentless pace for five rounds, has contributed to his six-year undefeated streak.
Della Maddalena holds great respect for these attributes and understands the focus on his grappling defense, especially after facing a similar ground-heavy approach from Gilbert Burns in his last bout. Despite Burns` early success, the fight ended with Burns knocked out in the third round.
“I believe I can prevent his takedowns,” Della Maddalena stated. “While I`m comfortable fighting off my back, which can sometimes be a disadvantage in MMA, stopping the takedown is my priority. That will definitely make the fight simpler for me.”
“If the fight goes to the ground,” he continued, “I have methods to get back up. I can also attack from my back, but preventing the takedown entirely offers the clearest path to victory. It conserves energy that I can then use offensively.”
Despite his impressive performance in the division and holding the belt for nearly a year, Muhammad faces considerable criticism, with several fighters predicting his eventual defeat.
Nevertheless, Muhammad consistently finds ways to secure victories, a trait Della Maddalena certainly respects.
Similar to Muhammad, Della Maddalena has built his career through sheer hard work and typically avoids speaking negatively about opponents, a stance unlikely to change before Saturday`s fight.
While not necessarily “killing with kindness,” Della Maddalena sees no need for trash talk just to provoke Muhammad. He prefers his performance in the octagon to speak for itself, believing taking the title will be a powerful statement.
“I absolutely respect his record,” Della Maddalena commented. “He`s had a strong career. He`s clearly a hardworking individual and has accumulated many wins, which is challenging, especially against the caliber of fighters he faces. I have respect for that.”
“There`s no personal animosity,” he concluded. “But I`m entering with fierce intent. That`s just how this sport is.”
