Russian UFC fighter Irina Alekseeva discussed the potential bout between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net.
As strange as it may sound, I believe that Islam can defeat Maddalena with everything he's got. We’ve already seen that he doesn’t just wrestle – despite the stereotype about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team; he can knock out with a high kick as well. I think that Maddalena would be a more uncomfortable opponent for Makhachev compared to Ilia Topuria since everyone knows that Ilia is going for a knockout, but he’s not as dangerous for Islam on the ground.
“Regarding Maddalena’s championship, honestly, I don’t know what happened with Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. He didn’t seem like himself. Maybe he was stressed out by all the talk of a possible fight with Islam, and they didn’t want to face each other,” Alekseeva said.
Recall that on May 11 Jack Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision at UFC 315 and became the new welterweight champion. He is likely to make his first title defense against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who is aiming to win a second championship belt.
The 33-year-old Makhachev holds a record of 27 wins and one loss, while the 28-year-old Maddalena boasts 18 wins and two losses.
