Jack Della Maddalena still has to defeat Gilbert Burns. Yet, the fighter already has a name he wants to fight next: Shavkat Rakhmonov. For him, a win over the Kazakh fighter could give him the coveted welterweight title shot.
Della Maddalena will be facing Burns at UFC 299 on March 9 at Kaseya Center in Miami. The fighter has to admit that the Brazilian opponent won’t be an easy fight for him, but he is determined to make a finish after achieving his last two 2023 victories over Kevin Holland and Bassil Hafez via split decision.
“He’s very good at MMA. He mixes it up well, he’s aggressive, and I think one of his best things is his toughness,” Della Maddalena told Submission Radio. “I think he’s going to be a hard man to beat. But yeah, I’m gunning. I want to get the finish. … I need to finish. You know, I’ve been lackluster in my last two fights – two split decisions. I’m gunning for the finish.”
The Australian boasts a clean UFC record with his six-fight winning streak. This makes Della Maddalena a reasonable name in the title conversation, but the fighter knows he needs to beef up his resume further to cement his title shot claim. For him, the best way to do that is by giving Rakhmonov his first career loss.
Rakhmonov comfortably sits in the Top 3 of the welterweight division after making a remarkable submission win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 296. The achievement put the fighter in the spotlight. “Nomad” was even reportedly suggested to Leon Edwards as one of the options for his scrapped UFC 300 headline fight. With this, it is unsurprising why Della Maddalena thinks Rakhmonov holds the key to the title shot. Ultimately, the fighter described the match against his fellow mixed martial artist as his “dream matchup.”
“My dream matchup is, yeah – fight Shavkat Rakhmonov in Perth, (Australia,) would be my five-rounder for the title eliminator,” Della Maddalena said. “I think he’s the toughest fighter in the division outside myself. I think that’s where the big challenge lies. Obviously, of course, Gilbert, I’m looking at that 100 percent. But if I think of the next toughest guy, yeah, it’s Shavkat Rakhmonov.
“I like the challenge. I think he’s one of the most challenging guys outside of the champion. But I think that sort of fight, (if) you beat Shavkat, there’s not much else you can do except take a title shot.”
