Jack Della Maddalena acknowledges that his upcoming fight against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 is often framed as a classic striker vs. grappler contest, but he quickly dismisses this simple description.
He feels that reducing the welterweight title fight to such basic terms undervalues the full skill sets of both competitors. While Della Maddalena is aware of the talk surrounding Muhammad`s wrestling and endurance leading up to their bout, Muhammad himself frequently boasts about his striking abilities, even referencing his “Canelo hands,” suggesting he`ll use them to defend his belt.
For his part, Della Maddalena doesn`t deny Muhammad`s capability to win in multiple ways. However, the Australian knockout artist believes he simply executes everything slightly better.
“He`s good at winning,” Della Maddalena stated when speaking about Muhammad. “So he`ll naturally fall back on just trying to secure the win. Of course, I don`t underestimate his striking, but I believe I can beat him both standing up and on the ground. I genuinely think I`m a more complete MMA fighter than he is.”
He added, “I wouldn`t want this to be a purely boxing match because I prefer MMA. I like the rules. I enjoy kicking and elbowing him.”
While Della Maddalena has built his reputation on delivering powerful strikes, he is fully aware of Muhammad`s competence on his feet.
Just three fights ago, Muhammad delivered a stunning performance, knocking out Sean Brady, and has reportedly improved since then. Therefore, Della Maddalena won`t dismiss Muhammad`s stand-up game, though he still doubts the reigning UFC welterweight champion will choose to spend much time there during the actual fight.
“I think his striking is quick,” Della Maddalena commented. “He has a fast, somewhat awkward striking style, which makes it effective. Obviously, he`s not known for being a heavy hitter because he doesn`t seem to put his full body weight into his punches. It looks like he just snaps them out quickly. He can land touches and then transition to grappling, showing he`s a well-rounded fighter.”
He continued, “Naturally, the fight begins standing, so I expect him to test the waters a bit. If he feels comfortable and thinks his fast, flicking hands are connecting, he might stay on the feet longer. But when he starts feeling uncomfortable, I anticipate he`ll revert to his primary strength.”
Muhammad`s primary strength is, of course, his grappling game, which, combined with his ability to maintain a relentless pace for 25 minutes, has contributed to his undefeated streak over the past six years.
Della Maddalena holds deep respect for both these aspects of Muhammad`s game and knows questions about handling grappling will arise frequently after his recent win over Gilbert Burns, which involved overcoming a heavily grappling-focused game plan. Despite Burns` initial success, the fight ended with Burns on his back, looking up at the lights, after Della Maddalena secured a devastating third-round knockout.
“I believe I can prevent the takedown,” Della Maddalena asserted. “I am comfortable fighting off my back, though sometimes I think that works against me in MMA. Stopping the takedown is essential for me. I think that makes the fight significantly easier.”
He added, “If it does go to the ground, I have methods for getting back up. I`ll also be capable of attacking him from my back, but preventing the takedown remains the most advantageous path to victory. It conserves my energy, which I can then use to inflict damage on him.”
Despite his impressive journey through the division and holding the championship for the last 10 months, Muhammad faces numerous critics, and many fighters eagerly predict his eventual defeat.
Throughout it all, Muhammad consistently finds ways to win, a trait Della Maddalena genuinely respects.
Similar to his opponent, Della Maddalena has built his career solely through hard work and rarely speaks negatively about anyone. Don`t expect this approach to change before Saturday`s fight.
While “killing him with kindness” might be an exaggeration, Della Maddalena sees no need to engage in trash talk purely to provoke Muhammad. Instead, he prefers to let his performance in the octagon speak for itself, and taking Muhammad`s title would certainly make a powerful statement.
“I definitely respect his record,” Della Maddalena stated. “He`s had a very successful career. Clearly a hardworking individual, he`s accumulated many wins, which is challenging, especially against the level of opponents he`s been facing. I respect that.”
He concluded, “There`s no animosity. I`m coming in with malicious intent. That`s just the nature of the fight game.”
