Jack Della Maddalena has shared his thoughts on his title defeat against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322.
Makhachev, in his welterweight debut, decisively ended Della Maddalena’s reign. The bout was largely one-sided, with Makhachev dominating for over 19 minutes, achieving four takedowns, and securing a clear unanimous decision victory to become the new UFC welterweight champion and a two-division titleholder.
Della Maddalena was unable to showcase his striking abilities as Makhachev, to his surprise, easily took him down and controlled him on the ground for the majority of the 25-minute fight.
During the championship rounds, Della Maddalena’s visible disappointment led many to believe he might have been injured.
However, he later explained that his dejected demeanor stemmed from feelings of helplessness and frustration during the fight.
Jack Della Maddalena Admits Failure to Execute Game Plan Against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322
In a recent interview with SouthernCrossCombat, when asked about his performance at UFC 322, Della Maddalena candidly stated:
“It was not a good performance. A lot of technical issues came up against the better man, who was able to implement his game plan. We weren’t able to implement our game plan.”
Della Maddalena is set to face Carlos Prates this weekend at UFC Perth. His objective is to end Prates’ winning streak, get back to winning ways, and then set his sights on a rematch with Islam Makhachev to reclaim his championship title.