Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena has declared his mates ready to make some easy money from bookmakers after weighing in for UFC 322, declaring his odds of over $3 as “money in the bank”.
UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev | SUN 16 NOV 2PM AEDT | Australia’s own Jack Della Maddalena puts his welterweight title on the line against Pound for Pound great and former lightweight champ Islam Makhachev in a blockbuster night of fights, live from New York City. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
The statement comes as the UFC welterweight champ now plans to regain up to 8kg for his bout against hyped Dagestani star Islam Makhachev, with both men making weight at the official weigh-ins on Friday morning here in New York.
JDM weighed in at 77kg, with his rival hitting the scales at 77.1kg.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia, the champ said he was relishing the underdog role and, when asked if his mates were loading up big with bookies given his juicy odds, replied: “Oh, 100 per cent.
“The boys are happy.
“They’ve gone hard at odds a lot worse than what are there now.
“It really is money in the bank.
“Obviously, I’ve got a lot of work to do, but it really is money in the bank, I believe.”
While JDM enters his first title defence as a heavy underdog, a host of UFC fighters have thrown their support behind the Aussie — among them Israel Adesanya, Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, Beneil Dariush, Sean Brady and Carlos Prates.
Speaking with Main Event’s Niko Pajarillo on Friday, former UFC champ Dustin Poirier also described himself as a “big fan” of Maddalena, and urged the Aussie to “trust what got him there”.
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“If Jack wins, it’s going to be on the feet,” Poirier said. “He’s going to hurt Islam with a big shot or something.
“But to find that range, to get those shots off and take the chances when you’re worried about the takedown, that’s the thing … can he do that?”
Elsewhere, Poirier said: “This match, it’s a tough one to pick.
“I know Islam is favourite with the bookies but, dude, this is a close fight.
“It’s going to come down to Jack’s takedown defence, his wall work, his ability to get his combinations and striking off without forgetting about his takedown defence.
“The guys [Dagestanis] are tough puzzles to figure out, man.”
Speaking on his Youtube channel meanwhile, Holloway said: “Call me crazy, but I’m running with Jack on this one.
“I think the first two rounds are going to be super competitive and we’re going to see how the fight is going to play out.
“I think Jack’s takedown defence, his anti-wrestling, is going to be huge.
“I think he’s going to defend a bunch of takedowns, he’s going to get Islam tired.
“I think the size that he’s going to put on Islam is going to be a little too much.”
Soon after, Holloway continued: “Jack gets him tired, gets his hand raised, maybe a third-round TKO.
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“I’m leaning toward Jack because he can just ping you. His accuracy is unreal. He just keeps pinging you and hitting you, so it’s hard to go against him. Bigger dude, too.
“I’m not sleeping on Islam. He’s an animal, a beast.
“I just think the anti-wrestling is going to be huge in there. Jack’s pressure is going to be big on him, and I think Jack is going to find Islam’s chin.
“When people find Islam’s chin, when he gets hit sometimes, it looks like it gets to him.”
While Maddalena’s fight week preparations have appeared faultless, the same cannot be said for fellow Perth fighter Cody Haddon, who has been forced off the Madison Square Garden undercard after suffering an injury during fight week training.
The drama follows a run of bad luck for the UFC bantamweight, who has been sidelined for more than a year after suffering consecutive injuries in the practice room.
For Makhachev, who has vacated the UFC lightweight crown to move up, Sunday’s MSG blockbuster represents a physical overhaul of 7kg – which includes, he says, using creatine for the first time in his career.
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Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, the challenger said he expected to regain up to six kilos after hitting the scales, while Maddalena revealed that he expects to bulk up by an additional eight kilos.
Elsewhere at the official Friday morning weigh-ins, UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and Weili Zhang also made weight for their co-main title showdown, with both fighters coming in at 56.5kg.
In fact, the only notable miss was UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush who weighed in 0.5kg over the limit. His bout against Benoit Saint Denis now proceeds at a catchweight, with Dariush forfeiting 20 percent of his purse as penalty.
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