Islamic Makhachev’s game plan against Jacques Della Maddalena is no secret.
After months of speculation, Dana White officially announced Thursday that “JDM” will place his welterweight world title on the line for the first time with Makhachev at UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden.
Shortly after Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad to claim the 170 pound crown in May, Makhachev decided to vacate the lightweight title and hold gold in two different weight classes with his name in the history book as one of the few fighters in UFC history.
Speaking to submission radio shortly after White’s announcement, Della Madalena coach Ben Vickers provided insight into how “JDM” handles Makhachev’s wrestling-heavy attacks.
“He’s not going to rush Jack’s hips in a hurry, but he tries to grab him as soon as possible. Even if it tires him out in the early part of the fight and takes him straight into his world, he’ll do damage from Jack if he’s at his feet.
“I’m sure he doesn’t want to be there as long as possible. We’ve all heard of Habib on the corner that really disciplines Islam when we’re not going for takedowns. I think there’s a lot of opinion from Habib when trying to film Islam frequently.
How does Della Maddalena’s Takedown Defense withstand Makhachev?
Despite a solid defense of 69% within the Octagon, Della Madalena struggles to stand upright from time to time. Against Muhammad, he abandoned three of his total nine attempts from the former title holder.
Before that, “JDM” was defeated seven times in the UFC 299 Clash with Gilbert Burns, but ultimately won the match via TKO in the third round.
Can Della Maddalena dodge the relentless grappling of NYC’s “Dagestani Destroyer”? Luckily we don’t have to wait longer to find.