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Jack Della Maddalena’s journey from Aquinas College rugby player to UFC welterweight champion

In an alternative universe, Jack Della Maddalena has completed his commerce degree and is working a nine-to-five office job. In reality, the next time he steps into his office — the octagon — he’ll be competing to become the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Della Maddalena is the talk of the mixed martial arts industry after dethroning Belal Muhammad to claim the UFC welterweight champions at UFC 315 in Montreal on Sunday. The 28-year-old created an incredible legacy for the fight scene in WA, becoming the first person from the state to hold a UFC title in only his eighth bout in the biggest promotion on earth. In a one-on-one interview with The West Australian, Della Maddalena reflects on his journey to the championship, the win over Muhammad, the risk he took to become a professional fighter, the support of his wife, and what’s next. The history-making title win Della Maddalena tried to take it all in as UFC president Dana White draped the welterweight strap around his waist and referee Jason Herzog raised his hand. “It’s something I’ve envisioned and worked towards for a long time,” Della Maddalena said. “I was just trying to take it all in, be in the moment and just enjoy that moment. It obviously passed so quick but is something I will remember forever.” All three judges declared Della Maddalena the winner after the brutal five-round war with Muhammad, with the West Australian striker putting on a clinic against his more experienced and higher-fancied opponent. Della Maddalena says he knew early in the first round that he was going to be the one leaving the octagon with the title. “I felt like I was in control the whole fight. On the feet I felt in control, he landed a few good shots ... when he grabbed hold of me, I didn’t feel like he was overly strong, I felt like I could get away from him,” he said. “After the first two minutes of being in there with him I thought ‘I’m going to win this’. “I felt like he couldn’t do anything to me. Obviously you have to be very sharp and react and not make any silly mistakes, but I felt in control and felt fully in the zone. “Going into that last round my coach Ben (Vickers) really pumped me up and I knew at that point I was going to win this fight.” The journey from Perth There was a time when Della Maddalena’s main sporting focus was rugby. A graduate of Perth’s Aquinas College in 2013, Della Maddalena didn’t step foot into a fight gym until he followed his brother Josh as a 14-year-old. Not long later Jack was training in mixed martial arts at Willetton gym Scrappy MMA under Vickers who has coached him to glory. Della Maddalena would make his professional debut at Eternal MMA 14 in March, 2016 where he would lose to Aldin Bates in the third round. He would fare no better in his second fight, being choked out by Darcy Vendy late in the first round just a few months later. To this day that is the last time Della Maddalena has lost, having strung together an incredible 18-fight win streak. Della Maddalena would win the EMMA Welterweight Championship before getting his big break in the Dana White Contender series in September of 2021. A unanimous decision victory over Ange Loosa would be enough to impress UFC president Dana White to give him a contract. “I expect big things from this kid,” White said after the fight. Not long later, Della Maddalena would pack in his “tedious” office job of invoice financing under his father and stop his commerce degree to concentrate on fighting. “A lot of sacrifice, a lot of hard work and a lot of risk as well, it’s a risky business the fight game,” he said. “It’s something I absolutely love, I love laying it on the line. Putting yourself in those pressure situations is something that’s hard to explain, that feeling. “Being a Perth boy, Aquinas College graduate, I am proud of where I’ve come from and the people who have helped me out along the way.” The woman by his side Della Maddalena may be the one taking the blows in the octagon but he knows couldn’t have done it without his wife Michelle. The long-time couple have two children — Franco, 2, and Paloma, nine months — with the fighter mixing his time between training and being a father. “She really does support me, she’s always believed I would get to this position as much as I have,” Della Maddalena said. “Without her I definitely wouldn’t where I am now and I owe a lot to her. “It’s a risky game to be playing especially when you have a family to provide for but she believes in me wholeheartedly. It definitely makes the job easier.” Della Maddalena doesn’t want the fame, he just wants to fight but he’s acutely aware that his days of walking down a Perth street unrecognised when he returns are likely over. “There’s a lot of fight fans in Perth and even now being the champion there might even be people that aren’t even fans of fight but will appreciate a good Aussie bloke getting some good work done,” he said. “I appreciate it, the support means a lot and it’s an extra boost when I’m stuck in training camp working hard, there’ll be that extra boost of a lot of supporters.” What’s next White has wasted little time in revealing who Della Maddalena’s first challenger will be. Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has vacated the belt and stepped up a weight division and will take on the West Australian for the welterweight belt. For Della Maddalena it is a chance to grab another accolade, with Makhachev the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC a mantle he would take with a take. And making it even more tantalising is the fact it could be the main event of a Perth card later this year. Della Maddalena said he wanted to step back into the octagon as soon as possible. “I will get back home, but as soon as possible would be best. We’ll see what the UFC are thinking of doing but the sooner the better, I’m feeling pretty fit and I’m just eager to defend my belt,” he said. “He’s ranked No.1 pound-for-pound right now so to be able to win the world title and become the pound-for-pound No.1 guy in the world is going to be pretty cool, it’s going to be a cool moment.”

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Jack Della Maddalena’s journey from Aquinas College rugby player to UFC welterweight champion

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The West Australian exclusiveJack Della Maddalena’s journey from Aquinas College rugby player to UFC welterweight champion

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exclusive
Jack Della Maddalena’s journey from Aquinas College rugby player to UFC welterweight champion