Former UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev vacated the 155-pound title to pursue a second strap in the welterweight division. That journey continues against reigning 170-pound kingpin Jack Della Maddalena
in the UFC 322 pay-per-view (PPV) main event on Nov. 15 in New York City.
Former welterweight titleholder Belal Muhammad trained with Makhachev then fought Della Maddalena and as a result, may be something of an expert when it comes to deconstructing their five-round affair. So will the Aussie’s experience at the higher weight class prove to be the difference maker?
“It’s going to come down to if it hits the ground,” Muhammad said on his YouTube channel. “If it hits the ground, for Islam, I think his top game is going to be really good. He’s very smart, very controlled and doesn’t let you off the hook when you make a mistake. Jack makes mistakes on the ground. He uses it to scramble. He has good scrambling ability. He has moments where he lapses safety. He’ll give up his back, he’ll give up his neck, he’ll give up an arm-triangle, and you can’t do that with Islam. Islam is going to see that, and he’s going to exploit it. I think if Islam comes out wrestling right away and forces that takedown right away, making Jack work, it’s going to be a long night for Jack.”
Della Maddalena defeated Muhammad at UFC 315 back in May.
“For myself, seeing him, being in there with him, he’s very smart,” Muhammad continued. “He’s good on the feet, he has good hands, he doesn’t give up on himself. He always pushes through. So Jack’s not going to be a quitter, but he has to take the center. He has to be in the middle. He has to force the action, and try not to get his back to the fence, because we’ve seen in the (Dustin) Poirier fight, Islam really wants to get you to the fence. Poirier did a good job of keeping him in the center, and he defended a couple of takedowns. Honestly, I just think that Islam’s takedown offense is going to be more than Jack’s takedown defense. Then when it goes to the ground, it’s going to be a bad night.”
That could depend on the pre-fight percentages.
Muhammad may have been “the perfect warm-up fight” for Della Maddalena based on their respective styles. Makhachev is also a rugged wrestler with relentless takedowns but “Remember the Name” struggled in his quest to get Maddalena to the floor — and often abandoned his gameplan entirely.
“He probably, in his best mind, would be thinking take me down, hold me down, and submit me,” Della Maddalena told Fox Sports Australia. “So, I think in the grappling, I’ll be able to surprise him. I believe I’ve got the right techniques for his sort of A-game. I think it’ll throw him off a bit. I think he’s one of the best fighters in the world. I don’t look at it as, like, he’s a different weight class. I just look at it as he’s coming up to fight me in my weight class. I definitely think he’s one of the best champions at the moment. I feel good, I feel like I got the right plan, and now it’s just a matter of putting it together on the night.”
The right plan and the right training partners.
