Charles Oliveira knows the sting of being grounded by Islam Makhachev. At UFC 280, ‘Do Bronx’ took on the Dagestani juggernaut and stepped into the Octagon expecting a war. But instead, he found himself on his back repeatedly as Makhachev landed 2 out of his 3 takedown attempts. Then came the second round, and after getting dropped by a punch, the Brazilian former champ was locked up in an arm-triangle choke, forced to tap out.

But why the sudden flashback? Because now, as Jack Della Maddalena prepares for the biggest test of his life, a potential welterweight title defense against the pound-for-pound king, Oliveira has begun ringing the alarm bells. The message? If the Aussie can’t keep the fight on the feet, he might find himself facing the same fate as the Brazilian!

Charles Oliveira hands Jack Della Maddalena a crucial piece of advice to take on Islam Makhachev

The comments by Charles Oliveira were shared on X by ‘Home of Fight’. When asked who would win between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena, Oliveira began by stating, “Maddalena has a very complicated game, because he’s a guy who doesn’t come to knock out fast, he comes to make you hurt. Little by little, right? Little by little, that’s what he did now against Belal.”

At UFC 315, the Australian’s unique style was on full display. Throughout the five rounds against ‘Team Khabib’ faithful Belal Muhammad, the Aussie kept the distance, maintained range, and punished Muhammad for every mistake he made. With a 52% significant strike accuracy recorded in that clash, it’s no surprise that ‘Do Bronx’ pointed out that Della Maddalena isn’t a traditional knockout artist. Rather, he builds like a storm that leaves his opponents drowning inside the Octagon.

Oliveira then stated, “But I think Islam is going to do very well in this weight, right? Now he’s going to be much stronger, it’s a game where you just have to grab him and put him down. I think Jack Della Maddalena is going to do the same fight he did now against Belal, hitting, moving, getting out, hurting, it’s a fight.”

With a takedown average of 3.20 per 15 minutes, Islam Makhachev has managed to put most of the opponents he has faced on the ground. A 31% submission rate that goes along with it? A stark reminder that the mat isn’t a safe place to be when going up against the Dagestani phenom. Moreover, this is the man who has revolutionized the ‘D’Arce choke’, the submission he used to make work of Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano in his last two title defenses.

That’s where the warning came in as ‘Do Bronx’ confessed, “But if you let Islam grab him and put him down, it’s over.” As we mentioned earlier, in his own fight against Islam Makhachev, it took just one knockdown and Oliveira found himself desperately tapping out. That’s the blueprint Makhachev can use again to devastating effect.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, the newly crowned welterweight champion stated, “I look at the Belal fight as just the perfect practice match for Islam.” Still, confidence has a price. And Oliveira’s warning shouldn’t be taken lightly. Because, according to a former ‘champ-champ, ’ there’s only one thing Islam Makhachev should focus on while preparing for Jack Della Maddalena!

Makhachev told to “lock in” on his wrestling against Della Maddalena

Daniel Cormier recently sent shockwaves through the MMA sphere with a bold statement. According to him, Islam Makhachev needs to double down on his wrestling for Jack Della Maddalena. Surprised? After all, wrestling is supposed to be the Dagestani warrior’s bread and butter, the tool he’s used to dominate the lightweight division. But when someone like Cormier raises a red flag, it’s worth listening.

On a recent episode of the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy/ show, Cormier stated, “Islam vs Jack is gonna be a great fight, especially seeing Jack defend the takedowns in the way that he did and Islam struggled a little to take down Dustin Poirier.”

While Makhachev did end up submitting ‘The Diamond’, he ended the fight bloodied. As such, Cormier continued, “He didn’t take him down as easily as he had taken down other guys. So I think for Makhachev, he needs to really lock in on getting that wrestling ready to fight a guy in Jack Della Maddalena who showed great takedown defense…”

That’s the heart of it. Against Belal Muhammad, himself no stranger to ground work, Della Maddalena looked like a brick wall. Muhammad shot in multiple times. Most of those attempts? Stuffed. And while Oliveira’s warning echoes the past, Cormier’s advice paints the path forward. For Makhachev, that means sharpening his wrestling to a razor’s edge for the matchup against the Australian champion.

So now the question hangs in the air: can Jack Della Maddalena resist the same fate that swallowed Charles Oliveira? Or will he also be dragged into deep waters and forced to tap? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!