Robert Whittaker believes Jack Della Maddalena is going to pull off another upset.
Della Maddalena defends his welterweight title for the first time against former lightweight champ Islam Makhachev at UFC 322, which takes place Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Following the announcement, Whittaker reacted and made a prediction.
“I’m going to go [with] Jack,” Whittaker said on his podcast. “I think Jack has that x-factor. I think he has the guts, the grit, the determination to fight the takedowns.
To fight the ground, to fight the takedown attacks that Islam is going to go for. And I think in a striking fight, straight up, Jack is better. I think he wins in the hands.
“I think Jack has the better game to strike over five rounds than Islam does, as well, especially if Islam is trying to go for takedowns during the fight.”
Della Maddalena captured the title with a decision win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May — his 18th straight victory — in one of the best fights of 2025 thus far. Makhachev vacated the lightweight championship after four successful title defenses ahead of a move up to 170.
Makhachev opened as a sizable betting favorite to become a two-division champion, but Whittaker is cautioning those counting Della Maddalena out of the fight — especially since he believes Della Maddalena is playing with house money.
“People sleep on Jack’s grappling game, sleep on his jiu-jitsu,” Whittaker explained. “I don’t think Islam is going to be as gung-ho with the takedowns as everybody believes because Jack has that level of offense off his back. … I think Jack is in a better position to take advantage of the things [that Alexander Volkanovski] couldn’t. He’s got better hands — especially over five rounds. … Jack’s tight fighting is so high level.
“Skill-wise I think they both have their strengths. I don’t think either one of them is overly superior in any which way. Islam is the better wrestler, but Jack has the grappling to kind of threaten that, not to mention he’s got the tight boxing to make him pay for anything he doesn’t pull off well. I do think Islam has got the kick superiority, and if Jack doesn’t address that, which he hasn’t in a lot of his fights, he’s going to get kicked a lot. Islam likes throwing kicks, he used that very well against Volk. I think that’s going to be a game plan of Islam. …
“External factors aside, Jack has nothing to lose. And I think Islam’s got everything to lose.”
