“If you look at the Dustin Poirier fight, Dustin stopped some takedowns and won a few scrambles. I believe Jack can do that as well,” former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg told BloodyElbow, pointing out the similarities between Dustin Poirier and Jack Della Maddalena. Because of that similar style, some fans even call the Aussie champ an evolved version of ‘The Diamond’. And since Poirier gave Islam Makhachev one of his toughest challenges at UFC 302, many believe ‘JDM’ can do the same at UFC 322. Now, a legendary coach has backed that idea, suggesting this fight could end up far more competitive than people expect.

And that coach is none other than Firas Zahabi, the mastermind behind UFC legend Georges St-Pierre. After spending years shaping elite fighters, the Canadian coach has been breaking down upcoming matchups, and he had plenty to say about the Madison Square Garden showdown. 

Firhas Zahabi explains Jack Della Maddalena’s Dustin Poirier-like advantage against Islam Makhachev

On the Tristar YouTube channel, while analyzing Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev, Zahabi made it clear that the Dagestani remains the favorite. However, he didn’t hesitate to point out the advantages ‘JDM’ brings to this fight. Zahabi highlighted how Jack’s style, similar yet distinct from Dustin Poirier’s, could create real problems for Makhachev if the scrambles start happening.  

Talking about the Islam Makhachev vs Dustin Poirier clash, Zahabi said on the Tristar Youtube channel, “Why am I picking Islam Makhachev? Here’s the thing: we have seen plenty of Islam. We have seen him fight, we have seen him in hard fights. Like the Dustin Poirier fight wasn’t an easy fight. Dustin put up a real battle, and he’s very similar to JDM in the sense that he’s very heavy boxing. Now, of course, their boxing style is very different, but Islam Makhachev has dealt with this type of problem before.”  

And that’s true. Even though Makhachev has delivered one dominant performance after another, fighters like Dustin Poirier have made him work for it. At UFC 302, ‘The Diamond’ looked sharp with his takedown defense, thanks to his improved wrestling. Poirier also used jabs and quick combinations to keep Makhachev at a distance, defending 11 takedown attempts in the process. But ultimately, Poirier’s aggressive punches left openings that resulted in the 5th round D’Arce Choke. With that in mind, Zahabi believes Jack Della Maddalena won’t make that mistake.

Zahabi added on his YouTube video, “(Poirier) A very slick boxer who wants to keep him at the distance, and punish him with the hands. Dustin Poirier tried it, and actually, Dustin Poirier did it really well. Now imagine Dustin Poirier as a little bit bigger, and JDM, you could say, is a little bit more careful than Dustin Poirier.  Dustin Poirier is the type of the guy who’d get into a blood and guts fight than JDM. “  

Once again, that’s a bang-on assessment. If we look at Poirier’s approach, it’s clear he prefers to shut his opponent’s lights out with big hooks and explosive combinations. He did that against Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler, and even Dan Hooker. On the other hand, Jack Della Maddalena uses his power differently. He stays sharp and consistent with volume strikes and long combinations instead of relying on one big knockout shot. 

And that’s another reason Zahabi believes JDM becomes even more dangerous heading into the fight against Islam Makhachev. He further explained how the Aussie’s accuracy over pure power keeps him safer and prevents him from getting controlled on the mat. 

GSP’s coach further breaks down the Aussie champ’s advantage at UFC 322  

When fighters like Jack Della Maddalena focus on accurate punches and build damage over time, they stay less tired and gain other benefits too. With that technical detail, Zahabi went deeper into the breakdown and pointed out that when a fighter controls their power and limits unnecessary movements, it becomes harder for grapplers to get their wrestling going.

In the Tristar YouTube video, Zahabi further explained, “You’re looking for a big shot, but you don’t throw them often, it’s harder to grab onto you. I wanna shoot in your legs, but you didn’t plant your feet so hard. You didn’t shift your weight so big, your movements were so small, that if I shoot, that might not be the right time. You might just step out of the way. You might down block me and circle out of the position.”

That’s exactly what ‘JDM’ did in his fights against Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad. He was taken down at times, sure, but he kept getting back up and firing sharp shots in return. It’s only because the reigning welterweight champ conserved energy by not throwing everything into pure power, he could escape positions with sprawls and pour on the strikes later when the timing felt right.

Now, at UFC 322, Jack Della Maddalena faces one of the most decorated grapplers in the UFC, Islam Makhachev. It will be interesting to see whether the Aussie champ can execute his game plan or if the Dagestani establishes dominance once again. What do you think will happen at Madison Square Garden? Comment below.