In 2022, Jack Della Maddalena made his entry into the UFC after putting on an amazing performance against Ange Loosa at Dana White’s Contender Series. And after he defeated Pete Rodriguez at UFC 270, everybody took notice, believing this Australian talent would go big in the UFC. Fast forward to this year, JDM is the welterweight champion of the world with names like Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns on his resume. Still, one question remains: has he ever lost?

Looking at Della Maddalena’s frequent wins, it’s easy to assume he’s undefeated, but he actually has two losses on his professional record. That said, it’s also true that he has fought eight times in the UFC and has yet to lose a fight in Dana White’s organization. However, early in his career back in 2016, JDM dropped two fights in a row, leaving the only blemishes on his otherwise dominant run. So, before the Perth native steps in against Islam Makhachev at Madison Square Garden, let’s take a look at the two lone losses of his career. 

JDM’s first loss via TKO in 2016 

Out of Jack Della Maddalena’s two losses, the first one came during his run in Eternal MMA back in 2016 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the EMMA 15 event, he faced United Kingdom-based fighter Aldin Bates in a welterweight showdown, and things didn’t go his way as JDM suffered a TKO defeat in round 3.

In the fight, Della Maddalena looked sharp against an opponent who maintained distance really well. While most of the action stayed on the feet, Aldin didn’t hesitate to shoot for takedowns and secured a few solid ones early in the rounds. Still, JDM’s takedown defense wasn’t bad in his early days, as he managed to fend off several attempts using his signature sprawls and scrambles. They weren’t as refined as they are today, but they got the job done.

However, those constant sprawls drained his energy, and every time he stood up, the Aussie hunted for the perfect shot to end the fight—only to get taken down again. Aldin looked clearly dominant despite JDM having his moments, and things went downhill in the second round. The Jamaican warrior landed some vicious knees from the clinch, causing massive damage to Della Maddalena’s ribs.

That punishment carried into the third round, where Aldin started initiating more clinches so he could land elbows and knees. A visibly exhausted Della Maddalena’s slower pace made his movements readable, and Aldin didn’t wait to pour on the pressure and finish the fight with ground strikes at 2:16 of round 3.

Although the Aussie lost the bout to Aldin at Eternal MMA 15, he eventually got his revenge with a first-round knockout at Eternal MMA 53, where he knocked the Jamaican-British out to defend his welterweight belt. That said, now that we’re familiar with JDM’s first loss, let’s look at his second.  

Jack Della Maddalena’s second MMA defeat  

Compared to Jack Della Maddalena’s first defeat, his second loss was far less dramatic. It was more of a one-mistake situation. Following JDM’s loss against Aldin Bates, the Australian fought fellow Aussie Darcy Vendy at Eternal MMA 17, and just like his record suggested, the man was definitely a veteran in the submission game.

During the fight, Della Maddalena looked calm and collected, moving with his usual rhythm on his feet. But after a brief exchange, Vendy found an opening, got him to the ground, and took the back. Although JDM did well by staying patient instead of trying to explode out of the position immediately, the discomfort showed in his eyes as he struggled to shake Vendy off and chose to wrestle up.

While doing that, JDM exposed his back, and it didn’t take long for his opponent to latch on, sink his hooks, and slide the forearm under the chin for the rear-naked choke. That’s how he lost the second fight of his career, and unlike Aldin, he never got the chance to run it back with Vendy. That said, Darcy Vendy went on to become the Eternal MMA middleweight champion and recently defended the belt for the second time.

So, after looking back at Jack Della Maddalena’s early losses from just over a decade ago, do you think that experience will carry over against his fight with Makhachev as he looks to shock the world at UFC 322? Let us know in the comments section below.