How Long Can Jack Della Maddalena Rule The Welterweight Division?

How Long Can Jack Della Maddalena Rule The Welterweight Division?

At UFC 315 a new welterweight champion was crowned. Jack Della Maddalena picked up a decision victory over Belal Muhammad to win UFC gold. Now, the question is if Della Maddalena can defend his title and become a great champion.

Jack Della Maddalena’s Outstanding Title Win

Della Maddalena looked sensational in his UFC 315 title victory. He did an absurd amount of damage while showing strong grappling moments.

In the striking realm, Della Maddalena looked career-best. In the boxing exchanges, he looked as good as he usually does. He landed jabs, threw in combinations, and landed in counters. On top of that, he threw solid kicks, landed a big knee, and threatened elbows. It felt like Della Maddalena was miles ahead of Muhammad in the striking exchanges all night long.

In theory, the grappling realm was going to be the area where Muhammad would be able to find success. That did not come to fruition. Della Maddalena did an outstanding job of neutralizing Muhammad’s offensive pressure. That made it harder for him to get to takedowns. Plus, he did some crafty things when he was defending takedowns. The most impressive was his use of a sit-out to create separation and get back to range. In the few times Della Maddalena was taken down, he did a great job of working back to the feet.

Overall, UFC 315 was a great showing from Della Maddalena and it should have people optimistic about his potential title reign.

An Improving 28-Year-Old

One of the most important aspects of a fighter’s potential title reign is their age. At the end of the day, regardless of skills, age is a massive factor when it comes to dominating a division for years. Della Maddalena is in a sensational position. His quick rise up the welterweight division alongside the beneficial circumstances that helped him earn a title fight has allowed him to win the title at 28 years old. That makes him the youngest champion in the sport.

Della Maddalena earning the title on the right side of 30 ensures his title reign will take place in his athletic prime. That is something that many champions do not have on their side.

The other important note with Della Maddalena is that he is making serious improvements in between fights. The growth that he has shown in the last three fights has been remarkable. At one point in his career, he had concerning grappling deficiencies. That has changed through work with BJJ specialist Craig Jones. Jones’ presence in his camp is clear and it is paying off.

The Welterweight Shark Tank

The biggest issue with predicting a lengthy title reign for Della Maddalena is the current state of the welterweight division. That division is red hot with rising contenders who are hitting their prime. Those fighters all have a ton of talent.

The UFC welterweight division currently features Shavkat Rakhmonov, Sean Brady, and Ian Machado Garry. Plus, Joaquin Buckley is one win away from entering that conversation. Michael Morales and Carlos Prates are both interesting prospects with high ceilings who could reach a title fight. Not to mention, Islam Makhachev may move up from lightweight with the hopes of becoming a double champion.

If Della Maddalena can defend the title multiple times, it is a near guarantee it will take place against a gauntlet.

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The Verdict

It is hard to say that Della Maddalena will create a lengthy title reign. That is indicative of the welterweight division rather than his specific skill set.

Hypothetically, if Della Maddalena defends his belt four times, he could potentially have to beat Makhachev, Rakhmonov, Machado Garry, and Brady. That would be a ridiculously impressive string of wins. If he consistently defends his title, he has to run a gauntlet that would make him an all-time great.

I want to take the middle ground with Della Maddalena. I think he is a championship fighter who can defend the title. At the same time, I do not view him as an all-time great who will not defend the title for years. Ultimately, I’d expect Della Maddalena to defend the title between one and three times. Honestly, that would be a solid result considering his strength of competition.

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