Jack Della Maddalena Embraces Being the Underdog Against Islam Makhachev – Despite Being the Champ
Jack Della Maddalena doesn’t mind being the underdog.
After delivering a dominant performance against Belal Muhammad to claim the welterweight world title in May, ‘JDM’ will put his gold on the line against former 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev in the UFC 322 headliner at Madison Square Garden.
Despite walking into the bout as the defending titleholder, Della Maddalena is a sizeable underdog, with Makhachev trending as a near 3-to-1 favorite to become the UFC’s next two-division king.
“I feel like the fighters always tend to lean towards the champion,” Della Maddalena said during Wednesday’s UFC 322 media day when asked about going into her first title defense as the underdog. “So, not really paying too much attention. … I still feel like I’m the underdog. I still have that underdog mentality. I feel like I’ve got everything to prove. So, not much has changed. I enjoy the underdog role.”
‘JDM’ goes into Saturday’s scrap riding an 18-fight win streak dating all the way back to 2016. Similarly, Islam Makhachev is sitting on 15 straight wins, including highlight-reel performances against Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski, Dustin Poirier, and Renato Moicano in lightweight title tilts.
Now, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ looks to etch his name in the history books by becoming a two-division world champion.
Things got a little intense between Makhacheva nd Della Maddalena on Thursday during their press conference face-off. After the two refused to break eye contact, Dana White was forced to step in and separate the two fighters before things escalated beyond a fervid staring contest.
