Jack Della Maddalena knows what mistakes he must correct after being unseated from the welterweight throne in November 2025.
The Australian did not enjoy a lengthy title reign in the UFC after taking the 170-pound crown from Belal Muhammad last May.
Della Maddalena lost to Islam Makhachev in his first defense at UFC 322, having been unable to prevent the Dagestani from accumulating almost 20 minutes of control time.
Ahead of his return months on from that setback, Della Maddalena has assessed what went wrong.
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Jack Della Maddalena says he ‘didn’t pounce’ on chances to escape Islam Makhachev’s control
Della Maddalena will fight Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Perth on May 2.
The Australian’s path back to the title begins against the charging Brazilian, who knocked out another ex-champ in Leon Edwards late last year to move closer to a first championship opportunity himself.
While previewing his next fight, Della Maddalena recently looked back on his first loss in the promotion and admitted that an element of “laziness” was to blame for the control time Makhachev was able to utilize.
“No excuses. He was the better man,” Della Maddalena told Australian MMA. “Came up against one of the best guys in the world, just gotta learn from my mistakes.
“Obviously, what went wrong was getting stuck on my back for 25 minutes. Honestly, it was a bit of laziness, a bit of opportunities I didn’t pounce on.
“I should’ve been more aggressive, not so defensively minded,” he added.
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Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images
Della Maddalena is targeting a rematch with Makhachev down the line. Should that come to fruition, he will have the chance to implement the improvements and pounce on the opportunities to return to his feet the second time around.
For now, the Aussie’s focus will be on rebounding from the defeat at Madison Square Garden with a hometown victory Down Under over Prates.
2026-03-28 03:00:00
