Jack Della Maddalena has successfully navigated a path back from a severe infection that threatened to end his fighting career, and is now on the verge of becoming the new champion in the UFC`s welterweight division.
The skillful southpaw will compete for the title in the main event of UFC 315 in Montreal early Sunday morning, where he plans to dethrone the current 170-pound titleholder, Belal Muhammad.
His opportunity for UFC gold arrives 14 months after he fractured his left arm during his standout victory over former title challenger Gilbert Burns, which necessitated surgery.
Just ten days following the initial procedure, he was forced to undergo a second surgery due to an infection that caused the surgical wound to reopen.
Della Maddalena, who is aiming to become just the third Australian to claim a title in the premier MMA promotion, spent nine days hospitalized receiving a combination of intravenous and oral antibiotics before finally being discharged.
However, his ordeal wasn`t over yet, as several abscesses appeared in the wound over the subsequent five weeks.
Recalling the challenging period in an exclusive interview, he shared: “It became quite severe, you know. The infection, the broken arm, and then I had the surgery. Ten days later, the entire wound – it`s a pretty significant scar – just started splitting open. It was kind of oozing fluid and got quite nasty… The infection somehow managed to reach the bone. It was just one of those unfortunate occurrences. I thought it was simply bad luck. It`s a risk associated with surgeries, and I was unlucky enough to experience the full impact of that situation. After that, it was all about battling the infection. It was difficult to get rid of. It required a lot of antibiotics and a couple more surgeries to remove the infected bone, but ultimately, we got through it.”
The recovery process was an emotional trial for Della Maddalena. He confessed: “It was tough. I had my ups and downs. Coming off a big win and then getting the injury wasn`t a major concern initially, as I`d dealt with injuries before. But then receiving the news that it was infected, I thought, `Wow, that`s unexpected.` That marked another low point. And the inability to shake the infection was quite demoralizing, especially since I was eager to return to competition. I had planned to compete frequently last year, but I just went with the flow. I simply had to remain strong.”
His family provided crucial support during what he describes as the most challenging period of his career.
He noted that he had positive distractions, saying, “Fortunately, I had some things to occupy my mind. My second child, my daughter, was born, which provided a welcome distraction. But I stayed calm and thought, `If it`s meant to be, it will happen, and I`ll eventually fight again.` I`m relieved that everything ultimately worked out.”
Belal Muhammad, the American fighter born in Palestine, will be defending the title for the second time since taking it from Leon Edwards in Manchester last July.
Unlike many, Della Maddalena is careful not to underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead in Montreal.
Commenting on Muhammad`s title-winning performance, Della Maddalena stated: “It was a solid performance. Belal is a very good fighter and doesn`t receive the recognition he deserves. He`s always well-prepared with a smart strategy. He`s a capable and well-rounded fighter. That was a tough contest. I believe Belal executed the right game plan to nullify Leon`s advantages. Of course, it wasn`t Edwards` peak performance; he`s had many excellent showings. But, I suppose anyone can win on any given night. And I think that night definitely belonged to Belal.”
