We take a look at what the champion, Jack Della Maddelena, must do to upset the odds, retain his title and return Makhachev to the lightweight division.
What Jack Della Maddelena needs to do to beat Islam Makhachev: Tape Study
Critical takedown defense
In the words of Maddelena he himself is most dangerous when the fight is underway. That said, we know what Makhachev wants to do. Strike long enough to get the fight to the ground. How does JDM prevent this?
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Elbow Takedown Defense: Bring the elbow in, keep it tight, drive it into the neck and make life difficult for the Russian. He did this against Belal Muhammad, but he needs to be more aware of Makhachev’s elimination. It acts as a ‘crash’ style of takedown defense. In the title fight, Maddelana was prepared to crash into Mohammed, leaving the then champion unable to avoid any attack. He met him at the point of contact and ‘bumped’ into Mohammed.
The elbow defense also prevents his opponents from getting their heads against the side of his body, making the takedown more difficult and denying them the opportunity to control their base. Notice how tight the elbow is against his body to make his frame bigger.
He must also take advantage of his size advantage. Jack Della Maddelena is no small welterweight and with Makhachev being the man moving up in weight, there’s a good chance JDM can use his size to his advantage in denying the takedown.
We know the former lightweight champion is an excellent wrestler, but if the defending champion can force underhooks in the clinch, he can make the challenger’s life much more difficult. Against Muhammad, Della Maddelena did a fantastic job of digging underhooks and shaking off the takedown attempts, then reversing the position. If he can do this against Makhachev, life will become much easier for him in New York.
Della Maddelena on foul
While much of the focus in this fight will be on whether JDM can prevent his foe’s elimination, we can’t ignore the fact that he is not a backfoot fighter. He walks forward and takes the fight to his opponents every time.
Expect the jab to play a key role in this battle for JDM’s offense. If he can land the punch, in the face of Makhachev, there’s a good chance it will lead to something bigger coming in for the champion.
He’s slightly taller and has a two-inch reach advantage, meaning he can probably land his jab and keep the Russian at bay.
The champion also needs to make Makhachev miss with his boxing and if he does, make him pay. Hit and don’t get hit, the art of boxing in a nutshell. He did this fantastically against Mohammed and was able to use his reactions and head movements to force the then champion into frustration.
When changing positions in the boxing alley, Maddelena has to be careful not to get caught right at Makhachev. We saw towards the end of the first round against Gilbert Burns that JDM was taken down when he lazily switched positions, forcing him onto his back.
Whatever Jack Della Maddelena does, he will have to be at the top of his game against Makhachev in what promises to be the toughest fight of his life at UFC 322.
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