Australian UFC welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena has revealed he underwent a grueling four surgeries in the last year as he prepares for his upcoming title shot against Belal Muhammad.
Speaking on The Grin Reapers podcast, Della Maddalena shared details about the difficult recovery process that kept him sidelined for approximately 14 months following his last appearance in the octagon.
“It was four surgeries,” Della Maddalena explained. “The last two were back to back, two days apart. It was just getting rid of infection, but we got there.”
The Australian described the series of medical setbacks as “a bit of a run of unfortunate events” that began shortly after his previous appearance on the podcast. What started as a knee issue snowballed into multiple procedures as complications arose.
“I think it was just unlucky,” he said when asked about the recurring infections. “I had was on antibiotics before the fight, so sometimes they reckon that can sort of mess with the antibiotics they give you in surgery.”
Despite the extended layoff, Della Maddalena has maintained a positive outlook. “It’s part of the sport,” he noted. “Injury sort of hits everyone.”
The Perth native was initially scheduled to return at UFC Sydney in February, but that bout fell through. He was then booked for a March return against Leon Edwards before receiving the surprise call to face Belal Muhammad for the welterweight championship.
The title opportunity came after Shavkat Rakhmonov withdrew from his scheduled bout with Muhammad. Della Maddalena’s coach, Ben Vickers, described the moment they received the news: “Tim called me and basically said that you’ve got the fight, not 100% confirmed, but it was pretty much ‘you get the fight if you want to take it’ and it was just a no-brainer.”
For Della Maddalena, accepting the title fight was an instant decision. “It’s everyone’s goal,” he said. “You eliminate all the banana skins prior to getting to your goal. Every fight’s a potential banana skin. If you can get there and get your shot early, then let’s go. That’s what we came to do.”
The title fight preparation has included valuable training sessions with current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, whom Della Maddalena visited for approximately six days of intense work.
“I was there for probably six days. I think I did the Friday night, train Saturday morning, and then just Monday to Friday double sessions. So like 12-13 sessions,” he said.
With just weeks remaining before his championship opportunity, Della Maddalena is focused on his training and recovery. He’s currently walking around at approximately 84 kilos (185 pounds) and plans to come in lighter than usual for the five-round championship bout.
“The weight should be good. I’m going to try and come in a bit lighter obviously for a longer fight. I don’t want to leave too much in the weight cut,” he explained.
Della Maddalena will face Muhammad for the UFC welterweight championship in Montreal, with his team – including coaches Ben Vickers, Josh Della Maddalena, and Ryan Gray – all traveling to support him as he attempts to become Australia’s next UFC champion.
