Jack Della Maddalena won't chastise UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev for wanting a clear-cut contender to emerge.
Makhachev (29-1 MMA, 18-1 UFC) opted not to defend his belt against Carlos Prates at UFC 336 on Jan. 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (Paramount+). Instead, Prates will meet Michael Morales for the interim title in the co-main event.
Former champion Della Maddalena, who was dethroned by Makhachev at UFC 322, isn't against the idea of two top contenders battling it out, with Makhachev facing the winner.
"I think it's a great fight," Della Maddalena told Bedtime MMA. "I think it's good for the division. I would think Prates is next in line, so I think it's a good fight. It clears up the division, it shows who the No. 1 contender
is, and it's good timing. I don't think Islam will probably fight until June next year, so it just slows it down. It's good. It's an incredible fight."
Prates (24-7 MMA, 7-1 UFC) opened up as a slight favorite over Morales(19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), but Della Maddalena is on the fence with his prediction.
"I don't know who's going to win," Della Maddalena continued. "I feel like Prates probably has more tools to get the win, but Morales is a big, powerful guy with a different sort of size. So I think it'll be an interesting fight."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jack Della Maddalena approves of Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales at UFC 336
