Jack Della Maddalena: Islam Makhachev Easier to Knock Out Than Belal Muhammad

JDM believes he can knock out Islam Makhachev 👀

“I think I can land a lot of shots and I think I can take him out.

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Stuff the takedowns. If I get taken down, I believe I can get back to my feet.”

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— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 13, 2025

Jack Della Maddalena (18-2) thinks he will knock Islam Makhachev (27-1) out when they meet. 

Maddalena won the welterweight title with an upset over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 last weekend. Makhachev had already announced his plans to move up and challenge Maddalena if his friend Muhammad got dethroned. 

It was confirmed on Tuesday that Makhachev vacated his lightweight title to move up and challenge Maddalena in a future matchup. Meanwhile former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira and former featherweight champ Ilia Topuria will compete for the vacant 155-pound strap at UFC 317 on June 28. 

Maddalena already expects people to count him out against Makhachev. However, the Australian champion believes he can knock Makhachev out. According to Maddalena, Muhammad’s awkward movement makes him a harder target than Makhachev, whom he finds stationary. Maddalena doesn’t consider Makhachev an elite striker and believes he can even hold his own on the ground against the Dagestani.

“I’m sure people are gonna assume that Islam’s gonna take me down and beat me pretty quickly… He seems like a pretty big guy… I think it’ll be one fight then he’ll probably have to go back down… I think I can take him out,” Maddalena told Ariel Helwani. “Belal really just changes stances, walks forward. But I think if I can have someone that just stays in the center. I don’t think Islam’s a very good striker. I think I can land a lot of shots and I think I can take him out. Stuff the takedowns, if I get taken down, I can get back to my feet.” 

Maddalena hasn’t lost in 18 straight outings after dropping his first two pro bouts in 2017. Meanwhile, Makhachev is on a 15-fight winning streak that includes four title defenses.