MMA analyst Din Thomas has explained why he believes Jack Della Maddalena is capable of defeating Islam Makhachev to retain his UFC welterweight championship.
In the main event of UFC 322, Jack Della Maddalena faces an incredibly tough test when he comes up against Islam Makhachev. The former lightweight champ is moving up to 170 pounds in a bid to win a second world title, something that would put him in a very exclusive group.
While Islam is the favorite, many fans and pundits acknowledge that Jack Della Maddalena is far from a heavy underdog. He’s the champion for a reason, and he proved what he’s capable of when winning the title in the first place from Belal Muhammad.
In a recent interview, Din Thomas gave his thoughts on Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev – and why Craig Jones could prove to be the difference maker.
Din Thomas backs Craig Jones to help Jack Della Maddalena win
“He’s a breath of fresh air, and I’m with Brady on this one. I’m picking him to beat Islam,” Thomas told MMA Junkie of Della Maddalena. “I think that Craig Jones is the answer in this. I think Craig Jones’ approach to MMA, and using jiu-jitsu for MMA, is the answer. … I think the answer lies within Craig Jones’ approach of blending in a jiu-jitsu style that these guys aren’t familiar with. We’ve seen it when Alexander Volkanovski fought Islam, and we’ve seen it when Jack fought Belal.
“And now he’s got more time to work with Jack. Just on the little nuances and just different approaches, different grips, different angles, different positions. I think Jack’s going to be very difficult to take down and hold down. He might be taken down, but I think he’s going to be very difficult to hold down if he gets taken down. I think on the feet he’s so precise. I think he loses the first two rounds possibly, but I think he comes back and does damage later in the fight.”
“No, I don’t think Islam can win this if it’s just a straight striking match,” Thomas said. “If he’s forced to stand with him without the element of takedowns – like if he starts stuffing takedowns, and it won’t happen early where he’s just stuffing takedowns repeatedly.
“It’ll have to be something late where he’s forcing Islam into taking bad shots from too far, and that happens normally somewhere around the third round. So, after the third round, if he can force Islam to start taking bad shots, and he’s stuffing them easily, and Islam just gives up on shooting and has to stand with him, yeah, I don’t think it’s going to be good for him. Islam might end up getting knocked out in a situation like that.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
