The last couple of fights haven’t gone Jack Della Maddalena’s way. The Australian is currently on a two-fight losing streak after dropping the welterweight title to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322 in November 2025.
Things got even worse in his next outing, as Carlos Prates dominated him before finishing the fight in the third round at UFC Perth. While fans were hoping to see Maddalena return on home soil at UFC Sydney on February 7 at the Afterpay Arena, the former champion isn’t in a hurry to get back inside the Octagon.
Jack Della Maddalena Explains Why He’s Delaying UFC Return After Two Straight Losses
In a recent interview with Bedtime MMA, Maddalena revealed that he was indeed offered a spot on the upcoming Sydney Fight Night card in February. However, he turned down the opportunity because he felt the proposed timeline was too short.
He explained, “I do like traveling for fights. It is obviously awesome fighting in Australia. You get the whole crowd backing. But I feel definitely less pressure fighting elsewhere. The Sydney card would obviously be sick. It was a good opportunity. They did ask, but I feel like the last one, I sort of just jumped into the Perth fight because I kind of had to.”
The former 170lbs champion added, “I didn’t want to get sucked in too early. My plan after the last fight was develop the skills, become a better martial artist, so I didn’t want to just jump just because of the location.”
Following his one-sided loss to Prates, Maddalena wants to focus on improving his overall game before making his return, which he is targeting for April or May 2027. He said, “I wanted to give the best performance for the fans, for the team. (I’m) just going to ride it out a bit, but ready to go April, May next year.”
Although he hasn’t looked like the same fighter who defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 to capture the welterweight championship, Maddalena remains confident that his best days are still ahead of him. He said, “My best performances are in front of me, so this isn’t the end. This is just another speed bump, and we will be back.”
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Maddalena has every reason to believe he can turn things around. He actually began his professional MMA career with two consecutive losses before putting together an incredible 18-fight winning streak that eventually took him to the 170lbs throne. Now, he’ll be looking to rediscover that form when he finally returns.
There are also several interesting matchups waiting for the Australian, with potential opponents including Shavkat Rakhmonov and Mike Malott. It remains to be seen who the UFC will line up for him, but Maddalena appears determined to take his time and get things right before stepping back into the Octagon.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
