"That'd be fun" - Jack Della Maddalena proposes Kamaru Usman as alternate for UFC 305 in case Shavkat Rakhmonov is unavailable
Jack Della Maddalena is keen to fight former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman if a desired Shavkat Rakhmonov bout is not booked for UFC 305.
Appearing on The Grin Reapers podcast, Maddalena discussed the state of the division and how the rising welterweight sees Belal Muhammad vs. Leon Edwards II as the likely next fight for the 170-pound title. Even though he perceives this, Della Maddalena is still well positioned in the division for a possible title-eliminator-caliber contest.
When asked if there were any backup plans in case a possible bout against number three-ranked Rakhmonov does not pan out, Della Maddalena said:
"I don't know. Yeah, maybe [Kamaru] Usman. I don't know. That'd be fun, fighting Usman."
Check out Jack Della Maddalena speaking on possible bouts with Kamaru Usman or Shavkat Rakhmonov below:
Jack Della Maddalena's place in the UFC welterweight division
Jack Della Maddalena is riding a 17-fight winning streak after beginning his career with back-to-back losses. He became the Eternal MMA welterweight champion and notched multiple title defenses before embarking on a Contender Series effort. Maddalena garnered a unanimous decision win over Ange Loosa in September 2021 and punched his ticket to the UFC.
Della Maddalena made his official UFC debut at UFC 270 and was able to notch a first-round knockout against Pete Rodriguez. He put together three more consecutive first-round finishes with a pair of striking-based finishes and a submission. The 27-year-old defeated Ramazan Emeev with a liver punch, Danny Roberts with an accumulation of punches, and Randy Brown with a rear naked choke at UFC 284.
Della Maddalena recorded split decision wins over Bassil Hafez and Kevin Holland last July and September, respectively, before returning to his finishing ways in his next outing which is his most recent fight at this juncture.
In March, the Australian defeated number six ranked welterweight and former UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns. He stopped Burns with a knee and follow-up ground strikes in the third round of their UFC 299 pay-per-view bout. Maddalena currently sits at number five in the UFC welterweight rankings as of this writing.