Jack Della Maddalena became the new UFC welterweight champion with an upset over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.
Currently ranked number nine pound-for-pound, Della Maddalena will be looking to build on his impressive 18-fight win streak by taking on new challengers.
To help facilitate those matchups being made, is the 28-year-old’s manager Tim Simpson, who famously works with many UFC superstars such as Israel Adesanya and Leon Edwards.
Simpson appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show and teased fight news regarding Della Maddalena’s next opponent.
“He’ll want to go as soon as he can it’s just about what makes sense,” he said
“What’s bigger than the number one pound-for-pound guy?”
MORE: When will Jack Della Maddalena fight next? Australian UFC champion reveals timeline for return
The number one pound-for-pound guy that Simpson is referring to is Dagestani phenom Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev, who already holds two wins over fellow Australian Alex Volkanovski, called out the welterweight champion immediately after his victory.
You are not Volk I will show you different level. Keep my belt clean https://t.co/gTplxCAXMY
— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) May 11, 2025
Despite the fact that Makhachev will be chasing his second belt in a new division, Simpson still sees pundits writing off his client heading into that potential fight.
“He’s going to be the champion and Islam [Makachev] won’t have a belt, but it kind of feels like Jack’s the challenger in a certain capacity,” he said.
Della Maddalena was sidelined for fourteen months before his title fight as a result of multiple arm surgeries.
Simpson believes that this was unusual for his client and is adamant that he won’t be an inactive champion during his reign.
“He’s from that like Adesanaya and Volkanovski type cloth were like if you could give them six pay-per-views a year he would,” he said.
“Between September and December, that’s an honest answer, obviously we were speaking to Hunter [Campbell] all day yesterday and it’s like they have a few moving pieces.”
Whenever Della Maddalena fights again he is sure to receive a warm reception from Australian fans.
“There’s a certain pride with Jack doing it from Perth,” said Simpson.
“Statistically, like how small and remote that is to what he’s done, like the odds of that are so small.”
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