Jack Della Maddalena Joins Forces With Russian Wrestling’s Kryptonite as Islam Makhachev on Toes for UFC 322

Islam Makhachev seeks to make history at UFC 322, moving up to welterweight to face the reigning champion Jack Della Maddalena on November 15 at Madison Square Garden. With four lightweight defenses proving his dominance, the Dagestani phenom now chases two-division glory. But this time, he steps into a champion’s cage, not his own, and standing across from him is his biggest kryptonite, hidden in plain sight: Craig Jones.

The lightweight king’s route to welterweight began earlier this year, when Belal Muhammad was defeated by Della Maddalena, who became the new 170-pound champion. Islam Makhachev never wanted to face ‘Remember The Name,’ his close ally and training partner. However, JDM’s rise made way for the Dagestani to relinquish lightweight gold and seek a new challenge in the heavier division.

So now, the Australian champion welcomes him with an undefeated UFC record, wins over Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland, and Randy Brown, and the discipline of a fighter who never gives up under pressure. And that last part, the ability to stay composed against elite grappling, is where UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns believes the fight could shift.

‘Durinho’ recently explained how Craig Jones, an Australian submission specialist, helped prepare Alexander Volkanovski for his first fight with Islam Makhachev. According to Burns, Jones went as far as creating a DVD outlining step-by-step methods for shutting down the Russian’s Sambo and wrestling blueprint.

Those anti-wrestling layers were precisely what enabled Volkanovski to defend so well in that first meeting, limiting the former lightweight champion’s offense in ways most thought impossible. In his native Portuguese, Gilbert Burns laid it bare: “The best fight of Volkanovski against Islam was the first fight; Craig Jones was there, helping with everything.” He further added, “The guy made a DVD, there’s already that DVD, how to defend against the Russian attack, the sambo, how to defend against the takedowns, how to do the anti, their wrestling there.”

Then ‘Durinho’ turned his attention to Della Maddalena, as he stated, “Jack isn’t even dumb. Craig Jones already trains directly with Jack. Jack already has several defenses there, several.” These words don’t only compliment Jones’ genius but also highlight how Jack Della Maddalena may enter the cage with the perfect antidote to Islam’s suffocating pressure.

And that’s when the story shifts. Islam Makhachev has long had a sense of inevitability: takedowns lead to control, control leads to suffocation, and suffocation leads to triumph. But Craig Jones has been developing the counter-script for years, first with Volkanovski and then with Della Maddalena.

On November 15, the Russian will not just face an undefeated champion. He is fighting his own shadow, mirrored back at him through the technical mind of his greatest kryptonite. And maybe that is why not just ‘Durinho’ but also predicting a massive win for team JDM at UFC 322.

Sean Brady joins the list: Picks JDM over Islam Makhachev

Gilbert Burns was not alone in pointing toward trouble for Islam Makhachev. Sean Brady added his voice, stating that Jack Della Maddalena proved time and again that being brought down does not imply being controlled. JDM forced scrambles and broke away against Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns, and Brady believes the same defiance will pose a problem for Makhachev’s smothering style.

Brady was particularly struck by Della Maddalena’s blend of size, strength, and determination. He referred to Jack as someone who is “very hard to hold down,” pointing out how he separates hands, resets positions, and makes each takedown feel temporary. As a result, he believes that ability has the potential to transform the Dagestani’s most powerful weapon into a question mark.

The 32-year-old said on UFC Unfiltered, “I think it’s a lot tougher of a fight for Islam than people are giving Jack credit for. Jack’s very hard to hold down. He’s a big body, hits like a freight train, has knockout power, and he’s shown that getting someone down doesn’t mean d—.” However, it is worth noting that while Sean Brady trusts Jack Della Maddalena for the win, he also admitted to having a selfish reason for supporting Islam.

So, what is it? Well, he wants the legacy matchup of grappler versus grappler. But when pressed for a pick, his response was simple: JDM. With that, Sean Brady joined the growing list of fighters who feel UFC 322 will be the night Makhachev’s aura of inevitability finally cracks.