Islam Makhachev is excited about his welterweight debut. But he wants to approach the fight with caution. As per the general consensus, Makhachev is the clear favorite. But building up to his fight, the former lightweight king has a very different outlook. Makhachev is giving the due respect Della Maddalena deserves. He has even called it a ‘hard fight.’
Speaking with ‘MMA Junkie,’ Islam Makhachev stated that Jack Della Maddalena has improved a lot. Since his early UFC days, the Aussie has come a long way with his wrestling skills. So much so, his performance in the last fight against Muhammad has left Makhachev impressed. Thus, the Dagestani is not ready to underestimate Maddalena at all.
“Honestly, it’s gonna be a hard fight. I saw his fight against Belal, he’s good man. When he beginning fighting in UFC, he had problems with wrestling but now he’s improved,” said Makhachev.
Islam Makhachev believes the JDM fight will be a tough fight:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 25, 2025
"Honestly, it's gonna be a hard fight. I saw his fight against Belal, he's good man. When he beginning fighting in UFC, he had problems with wrestling but now he's improved…
That's why he's a champion right now and… pic.twitter.com/KvbYpGXRa9
He also went on to say that despite all the improvements, Makhachev is ready for the champion. And once the fight concludes, it will be clear who is the best between the two. Meanwhile, looking to fill his shoes in lightweight, Ilia Topuria recently took a brutal jab.
Ilia Topuria Mocks Islam Makhachev’s Relevance In Fight
The fighting world was deprived of witnessing a super fight between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev. However, despite the bout not going through, the heat between the two is still on. In a recent statement, Topuria said that he would prefer facing Paddy Pimblett rather than Makhachev. Topuria stated that fans don’t care about Makhachev and also made fun of his speech.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MMA stories via Google! Follow Us
“I think that’s going to be even bigger, me against Paddy than me against Islam. Because no one give a f**k about him that’s Islam. Who gives a f*** about Islam… even in Dagestan when he is fighting the people go to sleep and watch his fight in the morning. He doesn’t even know how to pronounce two words,” Topuria said.
Ilia Topuria goes OFF on Islam Makhachev 😳
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 21, 2025
“Who gives a f*** about Islam… even in [Dagestan], who gives a f*** about Islam.
He doesn’t even know how to pronounce two words.”
🎥 @KevinI pic.twitter.com/dPnFf5NUvt
Thus, with things looking quite noisy with Makhachev, it remains to be seen what happens next.
