Islam Makhachev is underestimating Jack Della Maddalena: Why his comments may age poorly at UFC 322

Islam Makhachev doesn’t believe that Jack Della Maddalena is more powerful than him

Belal Muhammad admitted making key mistakes against Jack Della Maddalena where he lost the welterweight title in a big upset.

After speaking about wanting to strike with his challenger in the build up to the fight, the defending champion was convincingly beaten by the better man.

Della Maddalena will likely be the underdog heading into his first title defense due to the years that Islam Makhachev has spent at the top of the lightweight division.

The most interesting aspect of the UFC 322 main event is how Makhachev will fare against a naturally bigger competitor.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Makhachev said that he doesn’t believe Della Maddalena’s physical advantages are a big threat, adding that he believes he is the more powerful fighter.

“He’s not some guy who has crazy power and he’s not so big in this division. For example, Belal, he has power. Kamaru Usman, this guy has good power. I don’t think Jack has more than me.”

Makhachev has certainly proven himself to be an effective striker, but underestimating his opponent’s power could be a huge red flag heading into November 15.

Della Maddalena is more of a combination striker than a one-punch knockout artist, but with 12 knockout wins in 20 pro fights, he’s still incredibly dangerous, especially for a fighter that is used to competing against smaller opposition.

Makhachev, who has been knocked out before, also took a combined 144 significant strikes in his fight with Dustin Poirier and his first encounter with Alexander Volkanovski, where both men landed big shots on the Russian.

Welterweight could still suit Islam Makhachev at UFC 322

Underestimating Jack Della Maddalena’s power is a concern, but that isn’t to say that Islam Makhachev won’t adapt well to life as a welterweight.

For a start, he’s right that his next opponent isn’t a particularly big welterweight, at least in terms of his height, as seen below.

Standing at 5’10”, Makhachev may be on the smaller end of the top contenders, but he’s not outmatched either.

The Russian also stated in his interview with ESPN about the benefits of moving up a weight class, which could also be a big factor in his performance.

“My life is changed,” Makhachev said. “When I changed weight division, my life changed. All my life I have to think what I’m going to eat, what I have to eat for dinner. Now, I can enjoy my camp, eat whatever I want and smile in training.”

The saying goes that a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter, which would seem to apply to both of the men that will headline Madison Square Garden on November 15.