“He’s a Legend”: Jack Della Maddalena Calls on Volkanovski and Craig Jones to Crack the Makhachev Code

Published by Paul Browne on May 22, 2025

JDM Looks to Fellow Aussie Star for Edge Ahead of Makhachev Clash

As Jack Della Maddalena gears up for the biggest test of his MMA career, he’s turning to someone who knows his upcoming opponent better than most—UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) captured the welterweight crown at UFC 315 in Montreal with a win over Belal Muhammad. Now, with Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) expected to vacate his lightweight title and move up to the 170-pound division, a champion-vs.-champion showdown between the two seems all but inevitable.

To gain an edge in the anticipated matchup, the Australian welterweight plans to draw on the experience of Volkanovski (27-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC), who faced Makhachev twice in 2023. Volkanovski came up short in both bouts—first by a close decision at UFC 284, then via knockout at UFC 294—but gained valuable insight into Makhachev’s unique style and strengths.

Della Maddalena, who has trained with Volkanovski in the past, confirmed during a recent appearance on The West Sport Show that he fully intends to consult with the featherweight champ during his preparation for the potential superfight.

“Yeah, 100%. I definitely plan (on working with Volkanovski)”, Della Maddalena said. “After the last two fights, I’ve spent a bit of time in Wollongong. So yeah, I think probably the first stop, we go to Wollongong, talk to Volk, see what he reckons.”

Craig Jones, a renowned submission grappling specialist, has been a key figure in the training camps of both Jack Della Maddalena and Alexander Volkanovski in recent years. He played a pivotal role in helping Volkanovski prepare for his two fights against Islam Makhachev in 2023 and was also in Della Maddalena’s corner during his title-winning performance at UFC 315. According to Della Maddalena, Jones will once again be a central part of his team as he readies himself for a high-stakes showdown with Makhachev.

“Yeah, he’s a legend, you know”, Della Maddalena said of Jones. “Obviously a master grappler. He’s helped Volk out a lot. And yeah, just small details he’s just helped us with pretty much. Just small details that make a big difference. I think he definitely helped me a lot. And yeah, he will help out. Obviously, he’s prepared for Islam twice. Helped Volk out, I believe, that first fight to really stifle his strong suit, which is the grappling. So we’ll be using Craig again. Yeah, he’ll be there to help us out for sure.”