Respected MMA analyst backs Jack Della Maddalena to beat Islam Makhachev

Dan Hardy was very impressed with the way Jack Della Maddalena fought at UFC 315. So much so that he is now backing the Australian to beat Islam Makhachev in a widely-discussed super fight.

UFC 315 went down last Saturday in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Australian knockout artist Jack Della Maddalena claimed the welterweight title in the main event, defeating champion Belal Muhammad by decision.

Makhachev, the UFC’s lightweight champ and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, has been eyeing the welterweight belt, but wasn’t up for fighting his friend Muhammad. Now that Della Maddalena is the champ, the stage is set for the fight to go ahead.

If it does happen, most fans and pundits will be backing Makhachev to win. Hardy, however, doesn’t think that’s how it will happen.

Dan Hardy makes prediction for Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev

During a conversation with Submission Radio, Hardy shared his thoughts on a potential Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev showdown. He picked the Australian to win — or perhaps more accurately, stated he doesn’t think he’ll lose. That’s partly because of how he looked against Muhammad, but also because we’ve never seen Makhachev at welterweight before.

“I don’t think he [Della Maddalena] is going to lose to Makhachev,” Hardy said. “He looked very sharp against Belal and I wonder what Makhachev would look like as a welterweight.”

Hardy makes some good points. Della Maddalena looked like he hit a new level at UFC 315. Meanwhile, there’s no way to know how Makhachev will look with an extra 15 pound on his frame. Weight class switches don’t always go well for fighters, even those as talented as the lightweight champ. He should know this better than everyone, having twice beaten Alexander Volkanovski, who moved from featherweight to lightweight for their fights.