UFC 275: Jack Della Maddalena tipped to follow Conor McGregor to UFC title

Australia’s top UFC prospect has been tipped to exceed Tim Tsyzu’s fight achievements in a huge endorsement of his drawcard status in the octagon.

He’s the Australian fighter managed by the same agent as Conor McGregor — and already being tipped for his own UFC title.

Still only 25, breakout Aussie welterweight Jack Della Maddalena is ready to become the future of the nation’s exploding fight game at UFC 275 this Sunday, with his coach warning: “He’ll go on to do more than even Tim Tszyu”.

Managed by Paradigm Sports — whose client list includes both McGregor and Israel Adesanya — Della Maddalena is currently on a win streak stretching over five years and 11 wins, nine of which have come via either KO or TKO.

Yet while he may not boast a famous surname like Tszyu – or even one ring announcers find easy to pronounce – there is no doubting the hype surrounding a Perth native who UFC boss Dana White has already branded “special”.

Jack Della Maddalena poses after winning his debut at UFC 270. Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC

After winning his UFC debut by KO in January, finishing American Pete Rodriguez in less than a round, ‘Della’ now faces tough Dagestani Ramazan Emeev in Singapore, Sunday.

Of the four Australians fighting at UFC 275, the welterweight not only boasts top billing, but will be first fight on the Pay-Per-View section of a card available on Main Event.

A win would also see him become one of the first picked for an Australian UFC card tipped for as early as February 2023.

Despite the fighter having totalled less than three minutes inside an Octagon, head coach Ben Vickers insists his charge is set to became UFC champion.

“Jack is the future of Australian fighting for sure,” Vickers said.

“I actually think he will go on to do more than Tim Tszyu to be honest. The guy is just that special.

“I’ve been involved with Mixed Martial Arts for 20 years now and Jack’s as talented as anyone in the sport.

Jack Della Maddalena kicks Pete Rodriguez during his UFC debut. Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images/AFP

“A fighter like him, they just come along sometimes.

“You can’t explain it.

“But I have no doubt Jack will win a UFC title.”

Asked specifically about his fighter’s abilities, Vickers continued: “He just loves to render people unconscious.

“He doesn’t want to be in wars.

“He wants to be in lopsided beatdowns.

“And obviously we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves because this Sunday’s fight, it is a big test for Jack.

“But with his skills set, his cardio, his bullet proof mind … he’s really is a bad match up for every single fighter in the division.”

Rather than slowly build his career, the fighter from McGregor’s Paradigm stable says his goal is to fight three times this year and catapult himself into the division’s top 15 before Christmas.

Conor McGregor and Phil Foden pose for a photo ahead of the F1 Grand Prix in Monaco. Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

“I want to climb the ranks as quickly as possible,” he said.

But there will certainly be no easy out in Emeev, a combat Sambo world champion who suffered a contentious split decision defeat last start against Englishman Danny Roberts.

Before that however, the 34-year-old had won nine of 10 previous fights, including his first three straight inside the Octagon.

“And I want to fight that style,” Della Maddalena said of the Dagestani wrestler.

“Because that’s what seems to be the dominant style of fighting at the moment — strong grapplers from Dagestan, where fighting is in their blood.

“So it’s a great test for me.”

UFC 275 will see two titles go on the line in Singapore, with UFC light heavyweight champ Glover Teixeira defending for the first time against Jiri Prochazka and women’s flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko up against Taila Santos.

The card will also see the hyped rematch of that 2020 war between female strawweights Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili.