Belal Muhammad gives his prediction for Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev
Former UFC champion Belal Muhammad has given his prediction for Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev.
Later this month at UFC 322, Jack Della Maddalena will defend his UFC welterweight championship against former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. While many believe that Makhachev is more than capable of capturing the belt, it certainly feels like a lot of fans and pundits think JDM has what it takes to keep hold of the gold in New York City.
Della Maddalena won the welterweight title after defeating Belal Muhammad in a fascinating championship encounter, with Jack managing to get the better of Muhammad on the feet. He also did pretty well on the ground when you consider how many people thought he was going to struggle.
In a recent video, Belal gave his official prediction for the Della Maddalena vs Makhachev main event.
Muhammad’s view on Della Maddalena vs Makhachev
“It’s going to come down to if it hits the ground,” Muhammad said on his YouTube channel. “If it hits the ground, for Islam, I think his top game is going to be really good. He’s very smart, very controlled and doesn’t let you off the hook when you make a mistake. Jack makes mistakes on the ground.
“He uses it to scramble. He has good scrambling ability. He has moments where he lapses safety. He’ll give up his back, he’ll give up his neck, he’ll give up an arm-triangle, and you can’t do that with Islam. Islam is going to see that, and he’s going to exploit it. I think if Islam comes out wrestling right away and forces that takedown right away, making Jack work, it’s going to be a long night for Jack.
“For myself, seeing him, being in there with him, he’s very smart. He’s good on the feet, he has good hands, he doesn’t give up on himself. He always pushes through. So Jack’s not going to be a quitter, but he has to take the center. He has to be in the middle.
“He has to force the action, and try not to get his back to the fence, because we’ve seen in the Poirier fight, Islam really wants to get you to the fence. Poirier did a good job of keeping him in the center, and he defended a couple of takedowns. Honestly, I just think that Islam’s takedown offense is going to be more than Jack’s takedown defense. Then when it goes to the ground, it’s going to be a bad night.”
“I think I’m going to pick Islam in this fight to win it,” Muhammad said. “If it goes to the ground, I think it’s going to be a finish.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Topics:
Belal Muhammad Islam Makhachev Jack Della Maddalena UFC
