NEW YORK — UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena isn’t shying away from the storylines surrounding his first title defense. In fact, he’s embracing them. The Australian star will defend his crown against Islam Makhachev the reigning lightweight king turned two-division hopeful in the UFC 322 main event at Madison Square Garden. While some question Makhachev’s move up, Della Maddalena is fully on board with that conversation, even encouraging it.
“I’m sort of hoping for that narrative,” Della Maddalena told MMA Fighting. “That means I’ve done my job and put him back in his place. I’m hoping the day after the fight people are saying, ‘He’s just a lightweight he’d never do well at welterweight.