#187 Jack Della Maddalena: Is this Australia’s Next UFC World Champion?

Him my Boris and this is straight talk Jack, Della Madeleina Well and straight talk mate.

Thanks for having me.

You have combination trouble.

Tell him you that type of dude, like, fuck, I'm not going to stop.

You have to kill me to stop. I always look at it as I try and just push a strong pace and try and damage my pone.

Yeah, fight what's in front of you.

I fight what's in front of me. It might be risk, you know. I like to take the risk the opportunity presents herself. You've got to take here the scary people in this division, but I'm scariest.

Hey, guys seeing me here. From Mark Dorris's team. Before we jump into the episode, just the quick heads up. This conversation was a quarterback in February while Jack was in Sydney for USC three twelve and before his championship fight with Balah Muhammad was announced. This episode is all back into no Jack, who he is, his mindset, and his fighting style. From all of us that mental were wishing him the very best this weekend. Enjoy Jack, Della.

Madeleina Well and straight talk mate.

Thanks for having me.

Yeah, I love Perth person one of my favorite place and one of my favorite cities in the world.

I loved you. I used to live there. One of the things, and you're a Perth boy.

One of the things is you might explain to everybody the parochialism, the way Perth people, or West Australians for that matter, sort of consider themselves as different to the rest of the country. They love Australia, of course, but East versus West Coast it's a big deal. And when someone like you representing them, they are so much behind you. Can you just explain that thought process of West Australians and how did you grow up in that environment?

Yeah? Well, Perth is it's a small sort of place and it's very isolated. You know, it takes it's a five hour journey just to come to the East Side. It's a quiet place, laid back and yeah, it's a small population, but it's a nice place. It's a beautiful We've got beautiful coastline, beautiful beaches and the people are very children. I think Western Australians are very proud of Perth.

You know what, just a long what Dana said to me this week, he said to me, fuck man, he said, you've got sharks and fucking snakes and everything else that can kill you, and crocodiles and all that sort of stuff. But one of the things people don't realize is the Perth beachs. While they're beautiful, there's a lot of deaths over there from shark attacks per people. Generally speaking to me,

Per's not.

West Australia is definitely not as a state, but in West Australia.

Are laid back, but they're also.

More representative of what, like I think what old school Australians were, tough bastards, farmers, do the thing, do your job.

Yeah, Perth compared to Sydney is like a little country town, I would say, in comparison. But yeah, it's a nice place, you know. I think, yeah, some people might look at per from the outseats and not necessarily to go there because it's it's like a country town, but it's when you go there and you get into the lifestyle and you get into the pace of Perth. I think people enjoy it.

I thought we said it's a great place to bring kids up, you know, like it's it's and it's.

A nice joint.

And the reason I'm sort of asking you this stuff, Jack, is because I've heard you interviewed it on a number of times and people talk about the you know, the broken arm and all that sort of stuff, and you just basically say, yeah, like I didn't really feel it, I didn't notice it. Adrenaline kicked in, blah blah blah, and you sort of dismissed in a very modest way. And they say, you know, I've heard people say this guy is the toughest basketard in the UFC, you know,

Yeah, for sure, that is. Yeah, mentality just sort of get on with the I wish I could say, yeah, my arm was was excruciating pain and I had to fight through, but really I couldn't. I couldn't feel a thing.

You know.

It really only set in after the fight. But yeah, Perth, that's sort of pretty laid back. But everyone works hard, you know, everyone has Yeah, everyone's on task and they do what they need to do and then at the end of the day they sit back and relax and have a beer.

Yeah.

That was my experience when I live there back in the eighties, and I loved it.

Can I just ask you about your family development.

Lena is an Italian sounding surname, probably goes back a few generations.

Yeap for you, yeap. Mum's yeah, Australia, scott I think mum's grandparents all born bred Australia, Scottish background. I'm strong is them, mum's last name, all.

The things Scottish name, and your brothers and sisters, what to deal with family just.

Their older brother two years older, so it's just the two of us. And yeah, Dad, my dad's dad. Granddad came from Northern Italy when I think he was seventeen eighteen, just for a better life, you know. I think he was born in thirty three, so it wasn't the best time in Italy, so he just sort of, yeah, look for a better life. And I think there was a boat heading to Australia and he thought, I think, but I think there was heaps of banana. They had a

It's amazing how we get family stories about, you know, and we don't know whether it's true all bullshit, but there's a good story anyway to have and your brother, your.

Older brother growing up together.

Yeah. I've read stuff where that you and he used to rip into each other in the backyard and sort of like it to a couple of brothers playing around with each other, boxing each other and stuff like that, going total top yeah.

Always. You know, dad was a mad rugby fan. So we've got sent to rugby pretty young. Really a rabby fan in Perth, yeah pretty yeah. Not very usual rugby union as well. Not a massive following in Perth, but there's a decent, decent amount of rugby teams, but Yeah, he just sort of pushed us in that direction from a young age, and we just we loved it. Like the physicality of it. We were quite physical too when we could just train with each other. So he's, yeah,

All the combat sports.

Yeah, just having fun. You know, to boys Perth, it's a quiet place, so we just spent time with each other, just pushed each other.

So did you could you tell me when you first started to learn, either to box or do you know? I mean, what was the deal?

It was, yeah, rugby from a young age. And then probably I think I was eleven years old, like we were, Me and my brother really started training together. We had a tackle bag, but we dad gave us boxing gloves and we were pretty young and we just started rather and tackling it plane road. We just started punching and

That age, Like did you go and have amateur fights?

Never nap, just was in I liked watching MMA and there was wasn't many MMA gyms around, but just got in there, just training with each other. I was still playing rugby pretty consistently, so it was more just a supplement the rugby, bit of extra fitness, but never got into amateur fights. Joined an MMA gym at probably fourteen or fifteen, and then sort of just focused more on MMA.

So when was your first exposure to MMA as a competitor.

Then as a competitor in Perth they were a bit fat. I had like an amateur interclub thing maybe when I was about sixteen or seventeen, But in Perth they at the time there was a ban on the cage. They didn't allow the cage and it was hard to get fights below the age of eighteen. So I just pretty much waited till I was eighteen and then started competing.

And when did you realize this is my thing? Like were you doing something else, by the way, were you doing like an apprenticeship or no?

Not really just at school train just a school at the time just training and then yeah, it took me, but I didn't really ever think this was what I was going to this was my career path. It was just more enjoyment of the sport and the training.

Was it because your brother's doing it too?

Yeah? Yeah that was a big pass. Saw Josh into it and yeah, Josh, my brother was right into it, and I just sort of went along with him, just training. And when I saw him have a fight, then I was pretty hooked at that point. So he had to fight for he had to fight before me. I think when he got to eighteen, he sort of had a fight and I was just watching. You know, my dad would always be yeah, Josh, he fights, and I was sort of like, well, I want to fight too. How

Hooked you But did you did you on a contender series or some yeah?

Ye to get sorry when I was yeah, I had ten when I won nine fights. Basically I got into a contender series at the start of twenty twenty or the end of twenty twenty one, go on to Contender series, which is a great opportunity.

What's what's the deal?

So that you know, I don't know, there's Dane for himself, but someone comes along and says this, and Jack, you know, we're going to pull you up.

You're going to You're going to get in.

You're in the UFC now, you know as a result of been really impressing us.

What what what did? What went through your head?

Like?

And where was this series?

By the way, it was in Las Vegas, So yeah, basically just one to fire a local fight and then got into talks to the matchmakers and they said, we don't want to put you straight into the UFC, but here's we've got this route. It's the Contender Series in Vegas. You basically go, you fight in front of Dana and if he thinks it's like what they promoted is like

Do you'd have to do an interview?

No? No, oh. I got interviewed after the fight by him. Nah, it was just the media media interview. Yeah, but it was more he just sat there watched the fights. I think he just bases it purely on a performance standpoint. If you, if he thinks you've got what it takes.

So what do will you reckon? From your point of view? From Jack's point of view, would have impressed him. Stand up, like you on the ground, where were you stronger?

Well? The fight so it was a three round five it was. It was mainly striking, but then there was a few times where it hit the ground. I was able to get back to my feet and then yeah, I just sort of kept pushing. I just kept pushing right up until the final bow. You know, even the last ten seconds. I was just giving it all, like throwing everything but the kitchen scene Caden basically, and I think that's what he appreciated. I got stuck in some bad positions and I was able to get out of them.

That, Yeah, because I mean when you're being pretty modesty. So but I mean when i've I've watched some of your I watched them in Perth, not last year before, obviously not last year, missed out last year were having an operation, but we had an oration, but the year before and and your style is that you're sort of all over them, you know, like you're not letting anyone get a break. Yea, you know your yours, throwing punches,

Me to stop.

Yeah. Basically I'm a pretty calm person. But yeah, in the fight, I feel like getting in there, you've just got to I always look at it as and my coach has already said, like you've got to damage the opponent and get on them and push the pace, like you don't have a long time in there, so you've just got to make things happen. So yeah, that's what I try, And just push a strong pace and try and damage my opponent.

Do you are you one of those people, those top of fighters who you see an opportunity in the moment as supposed to planning it. Yeah, and you're ready to quickly mentally to take the opportunity really quickly, are you?

So you've got quick reflexes relative.

To what you see. I think what's in front of you? I think, So I find what's in front of me, it take the and yeah, I take the even if it might be risk. You know, I like to take the risk, to risk it for the biscuit, you know, for the opportunity presents itself. I feel like you've got to take it otherwise that opportunity is gone, you know. So yeah, I think there's going to be opportunities so I can push it and try and take him out.

Can you explain to all the non professional fighters and about when someone tries to take you down like in the shoot for you?

Yeah, there is.

It's pretty pretty dangerous if you're the person going to cop it, like you know, if they're good at it and they put you on the ground, you're in trouble. But there's also danger for them too.

Yeah.

Yeah, then you might uppercut them, or you could put an need in which you.

Did the perfect Yeah, the perfose someone shooting in their heads pretty low, so that upper cut up the middle or then the knees. The good shot can be risky though if you miss, if the knee didn't land, then it would pretty much for sure he would get me down.

So that's what I want to know, Jack, Do you would you go through like a like a quick analysis or you or you were so experienced I know that I'm going to take the shot no matter what.

Yeah, I don't think. Yeah, it was more just yeah, as I said, just risk it. You know, you've got to pull. You've got times like that, you've got to pull the true And the worst thing that would have happened, the knee wouldn't have landed. He would have got a hold of me and I would have ended up on my back again, which obviously is an ideal. But the best thing that could have happened is the kneelands flush and he goes down and he can't recover.

So so during the period when you're when you're physically recovering after because obviously there was a long process of recovery and number of operations or a number of.

Surgeries, et c.

You didn't have.

Do you sort of sit around thinking, Okay, my next opponent might be looking at me saying, well, Jack likes to stand up and go for go hard, for it, total tonially and will be all over me like a bad suit. So I got to somehow slow slow the game, takedowns, time on the floor. I got hold here. You can't move picking up points basically, do you? And then you think you, oh, should I better? Maybe a better ring? Someone up and get some I know you're resting coaches anyway.

Thank you?

Straight after that?

Yeah, how's your brother Phil? Yeah? Yeah he's good.

He's sweet.

Yeah he's sweet.

He's did he say does he say to you? Because he's brown? Be Yeah, let's let's look can I.

Now, let's let's try out and see if I can get a black belt?

Yeah? Yeah, he will get there very soon, I think.

Yeah, timing, you really have im pressure you're training. You know, after that, he gave you the.

Black belt, So that's pretty cool, especially if you didn't do it with the in the ring.

That's unreal.

But so do you think to yourself. Do I need to do more more floor training or is it just a part of the program. You do it anyway every other day or whatever it is.

I do it anyway. It's part of the program, but it is. Yeah, A big focus of mine is working on the ground game. You know, you've got to work on I guess your weaknesses. You know, got to work on your weaknesses. You've got to work on your strengths as well. But yeah, there's nothing worse than going into fun then just getting held down, and yeah, getting held down not being able to get up, it's a pretty

And how do you feel like?

Obviously a black belt, but that's that's sort of slightly different went on the floor in the in the mm A game. How do you feel about your your your your game, your ground game is getting better and better?

Yeah, I definitely feel like it is getting better. I feel like I can hang with the best in the world on the feet on the ground, and that's what I'm just trying to build on, trying to but also I don't want to compete with them on the floor. I just want to be in a perfect world. Just stop them, get them strong hips, buck them off whenever they should, and then keep the fire standing.

Yeah, because that's that's a good place for you to be. You're really confident.

Yeah, I feel comfortable, feel calm, and I feel in control on the feet.

Because that brings me to sort of chef cat like. I mean, I don't know if you call him out or something. Did you if you've got an X and have a come on dude?

Yeah? Straight after the fight with Burns called them in after and I thought this is the time.

And he responded by saying, your bravery or something like that. But I'm going to do to you what I've done everything something like that.

Yeah, So how do you how do you I mean, obviously you've got to get through this event in March, but how do you plan for someone like Shove cut Lake like and or Blao. I mean, how do you plan for that?

Do you?

Are you doing that?

Or you just take one fight at a time.

I focused on one fight at a time, get through this fight and then keep you going. But I think, yeah, just keep just trying to get one percent better every day and every aspect of the game. You know, that's it just getting better on the floor, getting better with the striking, the whole lot. Keep get yeah, one percent better every day.

So because that's funny, you should say that, because I was when I was interviewing Drink as he was, he had already in his mind plans about you know, after he defends his title on a number of times successfully of course going up a division even and and you know, digging up against Alex Prero, which is it's a big call. But planning like why ahead? Why ahead? Do you ever get people put pressure on you to start to think that way?

Or is it or is it better for you?

Do you think your style just to go one transaction at a time? Please, thanks very much.

Yeah, I mean, obviously having long term goals is important, but there's no one really, yeah, who puts too much pressure on me long term. But I like to focus fight, fight at a time, the big challenges fight. So you go in there finding someone that they've put so much time and effort into this. So and it all comes down to what happens on the moment, and anything can happen, Anything can happen, anyone can win, crazy things happened. So yeah,

So if if somehow I've got announcer, chef Gutt and Bala, We're going to do it up. Yeah, how would Who are you going to win out of that one?

I don't know. That's an interesting fight. Really, it's hard to gauge. I think Shavka is shown that he's more of a vicious sort of finisher that finish. He's got that strong finishing instinct. But Lah was someone that's more going to push a pace, can hold you down. I sort of just grind out a fight. So it's an interesting one. It's a real interesting fight. I would. I would have to think Shafka. I think he's been on a pretty good tear. But his last fight was a

How important was it for you when you fought in Perth to be in front of your home crowd?

It was Yeah, it was a dream.

It was really mental. I was there, they went mental.

It was mental. Yeah, it was a dream come true as well. Even just to fight in Australia would have been incredible. The first fight in Australia in Perth and the crowd that day were absolutely booming. You know, we had such a big fight having Vulcan Islam. That's a massive like pound for pound, like that's the greatest fight you could have had at the time, and so the crowd just got right behind it. And then yeah, going out there was the local guys just and then putting

And when you when you watched vulgu fight, do you do you stand back and then obviously he was a champion at the time, and do you stand back and watch someone like him and watch how he how he took that fight like you know, click, he got in some precarious positions, but he was just you know, getting the choke off him. He was smiling up against the why like you know, like it was unfrecking believably cool, like like it was ridiculously so ausy.

It was.

Yeah, he's still playing with him really like talking to him, laughing at him. Yeah, I mean, how do you how do you feel as an Aussie like and he probably mates it. He is like, how do you feel about that? How do you feel when you watch that ship?

That was inspiring, you know for sure, like the Dagistani wrestler that like nobody could nobody could really mess with him. If he gets you down, it's over. And Volk's just he was just having a grade all time. And then totally yeah, and then the last round finishing with Islam on his back, just absolutely wailing.

An another twenty seconds, Yeah, I was just yeah, I was wishing for another twenty seconds. I just reckoned he would he would have done the job he was.

I think Islam had done, he had done his work for the day and he clocked out and Volk was still he was still on you know, so yeah, we just need another twenty seconds, I thought, Volk one. I don't know if it was the crowd, but yeah, it was inspiring just seeing like a I was a legend like Volk stepping up weight class above pound for pound bess and just putting on an absolute killer of performance. It was inspiring back.

There, bloody masterclass of entertainment too. By the way, how important is it for you? I was Putting another way, how do you dial into the entertainment factor of the whole thing? Because you know, at the end of the day, you're getting paid everyone, everyone who's in the knockdo gets paid to win or fight the best put on it. But it's about not an athletic performance, but it's also the general performance. So there's you are part of an

How do you play into that?

What do you do? I just try and leave it to the I try and leave it to the fighting, you know. I try and just be pretty low key. But then I want to have like a if all said and done, I would just love to have a style that the fans love to watch, in a nice, clean style that people like to watch. I don't really need to be the person that wants to go. Yeah, talk a whole lot of talk bad about anyone. I just want to have a nice, clean style that the fire fans enjoy. My eye.

I was to describer, and I'm just one person advise. Describe your your style, I would say willin. Yeah, just a willing style like no backward steps.

Yeah, all over you, all over you, bother?

What do you think about Duplessy and the Strickland? What do you what do you thinking about that?

What do you reckon? That's going to go? It's an interesting fight. I think it will be pretty similar to the first one. I think Drickis will win just through more activity, more power strength. I think it will be a similar fight. I think Strickland's very good. He's very defensively sound, he doesn't really use his feet too much. And Drickis is a sort ofgether that will use his fee and he will lun Jau is pretty unpredictable. But it's an interesting fight. True to those guys have very

Made good luck in London. That's going to be a ripper. I can't wait to watch it. And and as you say it's going to be a very exciting Sunday this weekend.

Yeah yeah, cheers Mouth, thank you,