“I’ve always prepared for fighting grapplers. Belal’s someone I’ve always believed I could beat, so it’s just about taking on the opportunity and doing my job,” Jack Della Maddalena stated with confidence on Sky Sports New Zealand’s UFC show in February. The Aussie is ready to bring another belt to the land down under as he prepares to take on champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in Canada. But before he attempts to do that, former 2-division champ Daniel Cormier offered him some crucial advice to correct his mistakes.

The Aussie slobberknocker showcased some slick sweeping techniques in his last fight against Gilbert Burns at UFC 299, convincing many that he might just be the next true anti-wrestler, something Leon Edwards had been known for over the years. While he’s already regarded as one of the purest boxers in the division, adding those sweeps to his game marked a crucial evolution. Sure, ‘Durinho’ went for several takedowns, but he’s not the kind of relentless grappler Belal Muhammad is. And that’s where the real question comes in: Can he defend?

Although the Aussie contender has delivered brutal liver shots and sharp counter punches to many opponents, it’s also true that Della Maddalena has struggled against relentless takedown pressure, most notably in the fight against Bassil Hafez. Cormier, after momentarily forgetting Hafez’s name, pointed out that very issue. The former two-division champion firmly believes that Della Maddalena cannot afford to make the same mistakes at UFC 315 against the reigning Palestinian-American champion. 

DC in his YouTube video said, “For Della Maddalena, he’s gotta defend takedowns. And here’s the deal! There was a fight fought in the Apex against a kid, and I don’t know his name. Jack Della Maddalena fought this kid a while back. That kid was taking him down, beating him on short notice, Takedowns! I can’t remember that guy’s name!”

He added, “It can’t look like that, the fight cannot look like that for Jack Della Maddalena. It was Bassil Hafez in the Apex, and he was losing. He had to have a very good third round to win that fight because Hafez successfully took him down over and over again. That can’t happen. If that starts to happen with the fighter at the level of Belal Muhammad, he’s not getting the job done.”

Although pretty obvious, Cormier makes a point here! If Della Maddalena even remotely gets into a grappling exchange with somebody like Belal Muhammad, then it will be very hard getting out of that abyss. It’s going to be tough departing from that insane top control. And, if the 170 lbs kingpin somehow gets the back, then that’s going to be game over.

However, this is no secret that the Aussie’s striking will be his best weapon going into this fight, which another UFC commentator believes, in particular, can create problems for the champion. Let’s see what she has to say.

Laura Sanko believes Jack Della Maddalena has better eyes than Belal Muhammad

The main event of UFC 315 has been labeled as boring by some fans, largely because the narrative feels predictable, wrestling versus striking. It’s Muhammad’s relentless grappling against Maddalena’s crisp boxing. But things got a little more interesting when the current champ added some spice, claiming he’s going to outstrike the division’s purest boxer using his “Canelo hands.” To be fair, Belal’s striking has come a long way since his earlier fights, but as Laura Sanko pointed out, the Aussie still has the sharper eyes in the boxing range.

During an interview with Submission Radio, she stated, “They are both super high volume, so that piece is going to be interesting to see whether one of them the volume a little bit, because the other is so front foot forward. Jack’s best range is the boxing range, and I think if he can keep it there and not crash into the clinch, and not allow Belal to be too far outside. If he can push the range and keep it in that boxing range, I think he’s faster and I think he’s got better eyes than Belal when it comes to that specific boxing range.”

Excellent assessment by Laura Sanko here! Belal has that volume striking in his arsenal that he showed against Sean Brady and Gilbert Burns, where he carried the whole fight with his hands, and also looked pretty decent while doing it. Still, the Aussie carries the power behind his punches that can make things interesting. That being said, who do you think takes the cake at UFC 315? Please comment your thoughts below!