Aussie Jack Della Maddalena faces Kevin Holland in UFC welterweight showdown

Aussie Jack Della Maddalena faces his biggest UFC test thus far this weekend, and definitely his most interesting, as he prepares for a showdown with the hugely popular Kevin Holland.

Australian Jack Della Maddalena (L) is back in action this weekend. Picture: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Most UFC fighters are set up in a hotel room, or a table in a media area when they log on for their fight week Zoom interviews.

Sometimes they’re caught out and conduct the interview in a car, or while out drinking a coffee.

Not Kevin Holland.

Nicknamed the Big Mouth by Dana White, Holland – who takes on Aussie Jack Della Maddalena this weekend – drops into our Zoom call with a big grin on his face and an apology for being late.

“Hi, Kevin … mate, where exactly are you right now?”

He doesn’t miss a beat: “I’m in the shower, bruh.”

Kevin Holland is not like most other UFC fighters.

Holland and Della Maddalena’s welterweight showdown in Las Vegas this weekend will propel the winner towards the top of the 170-pound division, but Holland isn’t worried about any of that, or about winning a title.

Kevin Holland is one of a kind. Picture: Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

“You’ll never hear me talking about the title, bro,” he says. “I’m just here to have a great time and fight as many people as I can.

“If I happen to smack everyone in my way and there’s a title shot, I’ll take it, but I’m just here to get paid and get laid.”

Outside the cage, Holland and Della Maddalena could hardly be more different.

The West Australian is laid back, eager to rise up the rankings and is already thinking about how he can watch the Wallabies’ World Cup game against Fiji after his fight.

Inside the Octagon though, they’re pretty similar. They’re all action, want to stay active and don’t care who’s in front of them.

“I’m a fan to be honest, he’s always down to fight, he just enjoys the sport,” Della Maddalena tells this masthead. “I respect that, and that’s how I feel as well.

“Everyone’s different, he’s funny, but at the end of the day there’s going to come a time for fighting.”

Della Maddalena (L) is coming off a split decision win over Bassil Hafez (R). Picture: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Della Maddalena is on a five-fight win-streak, and was supposed to fight on the same UFC 290 card as Alex Volkanovski and Rob Whittaker.

But after seeing two opponents pull out – the second one on weigh-in day – Della Maddalena scored a split-decision win over Bassil Hafez a week later.

“I made some bad decisions during the fight, but they were good things to take back to the drawing board and improve on,” he says. “I got three rounds in and overcame adversity after losing the first round, I had to come back and win the next two.

“I feel much better for it though.”

Holland says the fight showed a few holes in the Aussie’s game.

“It just looked like normal Jack,” he says. “If you stand up with him, he does his thing. If you shoot a take-down, you’ll stop him doing his thing.

“I think he boxes very well, and I’m curious to go in there and see what he’s all about. It’s gonna be a great fight.”

Originally published as Aussie Jack Della Maddalena faces Kevin Holland in UFC welterweight showdown