Islam Makhachev seems to be totally unconvinced with the hype going around Jack Della Maddalena’s work with BJJ legend Craig Jones. Before their much-awaited clash at UFC 322, Makhachev had his honest reaction about the union of Jones with Jack, stating that short-term guidance may not help Jack to cover his wrestling gap.
Makhachev himself, known widely for his elite sambo technique with suffocating top control, made the situation’s analysis with an old event that fans still remember.
“We have a good example in Chimaev vs. Du Plessis, which brought a lot of wrestlers, but nothing worked.”
The lightweight champion believes that despite Jones having expertise in jiu-jitsu, mastering wrestling preparation in a single camp won’t be possible even if improvement is tried in that area.
“I don’t think Craig is helping Jack with wrestling… It doesn’t work like this. This is something you have to do for many, many years.”
No matter how much preparation Maddalena is doing for the most dominant grappler, Makhachev seems confident that even Craig’s involvement won’t make any difference to what’s going to happen.
Craig Jones’ Addition Raises Eyebrows—But Makhachev Stands Firm
UFC 322 is in headlines for many reasons, but the prominent reason has to be Craig Jones training Jack Della Maddalena. Certainly Maddalena is popular for his finishing accuracy and great striking timing; however, his defensive grappling remain as an area that fans believe needs improvement.
Meanwhile, Jones’ addition to the preparation of Jack has some hope for his fans believing those gaps could tighten now. Yet, Makhachev thinks the problem lies with the wrestling foundation and not the jiu-jitsu technique.
Makhachev’s comparison of Chimaev vs. Du Plessis with Craig training Jack has its own logic. His point throws light on how Du Plessis tried to bring in a specialist as well expecting level up yet ended up struggling at the crucial time. The lightweight champion’s statement has a strong point that mastering wrestling isn’t a work of few weeks; rather, it takes lifetime dedication and hard work.
Moreover, Maddalena thinks Jones’ guidance will bring improvement for him to survive certain positions to keep the fight going on for long and even give him some advantages. UFC 322 with that surely assures excitement and thrill to see whose belief stands strong till the end.
With the question now popping into fans’ minds of who’s going to win, Maddalena or Makhachev? The pressure seems to be higher on Maddalena to prove if his union with Jones benefits him towards the end or not.