Jack Della Maddalena

Jack Della Maddalena is an Australian mixed martial artist and UFC welterweight whose competitive foundation rests on a BJJ black belt earned under coach Ben Vickers. Built in Perth, Della Maddalena's game evolved into one of the most finish-oriented skill sets in the welterweight division — a blend of technical grappling and relentless pressure that produced a string of dominant UFC performances and steadily pushed him up the rankings.

Throughout his ascent, Della Maddalena drew deliberate inspiration from fellow Australian Alex Volkanovski, treating Volkanovski's path to championship glory as a blueprint for what a fighter from Australia could accomplish on MMA's biggest stage. Rather than shrink from the underdog label that followed him into several high-profile matchups, Della Maddalena embraced it as competitive fuel — channeling external skepticism into sharper focus and more disciplined preparation.

The defining moment of Della Maddalena's career arrived in May 2025, when he challenged reigning UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Muhammad entered the bout as one of the division's most durable and technically complete fighters, and Della Maddalena stepped in as the challenger tasked with unseating him.

Over five championship rounds, Della Maddalena delivered a composed and calculated performance, earning the unanimous decision and, with it, the UFC welterweight title. The victory was a landmark achievement — the culmination of a methodical rise through the division and a clear statement that a BJJ-based fighter from Perth had reached the summit of one of MMA's most competitive weight classes. The win over Muhammad validated every step of the trajectory Della Maddalena had been building across his UFC tenure, cementing him as a legitimate world champion.

As the newly crowned UFC welterweight champion, Della Maddalena faced a significant step up for his first title defense: a cross-division superfight against pound-for-pound elite Islam Makhachev at UFC 322, scheduled for November 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Recognizing the elite grappling demands that Makhachev would impose, Della Maddalena built a training camp centered on stress-testing his submission wrestling under high-intensity conditions.

Shark Tanks and Technical Development with Craig Jones

Central to that camp was an extensive collaboration with world-renowned grappler and coach Craig Jones. Jones integrated a high volume of "shark tank" rounds into Della Maddalena's preparation — a format designed to replicate sustained elite-level pressure and expose any gaps in technique or conditioning. Della Maddalena noted steady technical improvements throughout the camp, reflecting a deliberate effort to sharpen his submission grappling ahead of the most demanding matchup of his career. The arrangement with Jones remained camp-specific, with Ben Vickers continuing in his role as Della Maddalena's primary coach and long-term corner.

Heading into the fight, Della Maddalena once again embraced the underdog role, publicly citing Alex Volkanovski's willingness to accept difficult matchups against elite opposition as a core influence on his own competitive philosophy.

At UFC 322 in November 2025 at Madison Square Garden, Della Maddalena put the welterweight title on the line against Islam Makhachev in one of the most anticipated bouts of the year. Makhachev controlled the fight from start to finish, earning a unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the bout 50-45 — a comprehensive and unambiguous performance across all five rounds.

The dominant scorecards reflected Makhachev's complete command of positioning, wrestling, and pace, and with the victory he claimed the UFC welterweight title. Despite the loss, Della Maddalena's decision to accept the fight against one of MMA's most decorated champions reinforced his standing as a competitor who willingly tests himself at the highest level, regardless of the odds. The defeat at UFC 322 marked the end of his first championship reign, leaving his path forward in the welterweight division an open and compelling question.