Jack Della Maddalena is one of the most promising fighters in the UFC right now. Despite his relatively short career in the UFC, he has slowly become a fan favorite. As such, his popularity has also increased since his last outing.
For those unaware, JDM got the biggest win of his UFC career so far at UFC 299 in Miami earlier this month. Taking on Gilbert Burns on the main card, there were many who expected the Brazilian veteran to persevere over the Aussie prospect. On the night, Burns’ grappling prowess was on full display, yet not enough to win him the fight.
What a finish to this fight by Jack Della Maddalena 👏
He pulls through in round three to get the TKO! #UFC299 pic.twitter.com/be6pIihdvO
— UFC (@ufc) March 10, 2024
Despite being behind on the judge’s scorecards, Jack made a late rally in Round 3 to reverse position and eventually ended up knocking out Gilbert Burns. A surprising turn of events, to say the least, it was likely what many expected the game plan to be from Jack Della coming into the fight. However, as it turns out, he had to overcome serious adversity to win the fight.
Jack Della Maddalena reveals the worst injury he’s ever had in his career
Following the win over Gilbert Burns, Jack Della Maddalena’s manager Tim Simpson broke some shocking news on social media. According to him, Jack seemingly broke his arm early in the fight and chose to carry on with it regardless. Despite it being a clean break, the fighter showed no signs of any real damage, let alone a devastating arm break.
Recently, Brett Okamoto from ESPN MMA had an interview with Jack, asking him whether it was the worst injury he’s ever had in a fight:
Jack Della Maddalena broke his arm mid-fight and still got the finish against Gilbert Burns 😳
DIFFERENT 😤
(📸 timsimpson/IG) pic.twitter.com/i3f4bTOLv3
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 13, 2024
“Yeah, it is. I’ve broken hands before in fights but this is definitely the worst injury I’ve had in a fight, to be honest, outside of hands”.
Despite the fact that MMA fighters have a high pain threshold, Jack Della’s feat was seemingly inhuman. According to the fighter, he believes that despite the pain and inflammation he suffered, the adrenaline from the fight is likely what carried him through. Following the victory in Miami, Jack also had to endure a 30-hour flight back home with the broken arm.
Jack Della Maddalena doubles down on Shavkat Rakhmonov callout
Surprisingly, Jack Della Maddalena elected to call out Shavkat Rakhmonov after his win at UFC 299. Now 7-0 in the UFC with 5 of them coming by way of finishes, it is clear that the 27-year-old is a man on a mission. As such, he is not afraid of calling for people who are on the same trajectory as him.
Speaking in the interview, Jack Della reveals why he has been calling for Shavkat since his arrival in the UFC:
“I’ve always seen him and thought he’s young, he’s my age and he’s finishing everyone, and I always thought he was the toughest fight in the division”. Further, the Aussie added, “I think they (the UFC) know that it’s inevitable, to be honest. I think they’re trying to make it happen at the right time. My thoughts are, that this is the right time. I reckon it’s the biggest title eliminator fight to go down in UFC (history)”.
According to JDM, ‘The Nomad’ is like a movie villain. “I feel like he’s like a James Bond villain, so I’m happy to be James Bond and I thought that was the perfect response from him”. Currently, both fighters are understood to be nursing significant injuries. In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how the title fight plays out. Thereafter, it is entirely possible that Jack and Shavkat get their fight, or get their shot at the title instead