Jack Della Maddalena says he'd fight Mike Malott, but not until April or May

Former UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena says he's open to fighting Mike Malott, but not before April or May 2027. His comments to Bedtime MMA were reported on Sunday, Nov. 1, by MMA Mania. The fight isn't booked.

Asked about Malott, he answered, "Yeah, for sure. I'll be into that," according to MMA Mania. Heavy's transcript of the same answer adds a hedge: "Yeah, for sure. For sure. We'll see. Yeah. I'd be into that."

The timeline is the bigger news. "So just gonna ride it out a bit, but ready to go April, May next year," he said. MMA Mania notes that doesn't seem to line up with UFC 336 in Toronto on Jan. 30 or UFC Sydney on Feb. 7. Toronto is the card Malott wants.

"I feel like the last one, I sort of just jumped into the Perth fight because I kinda had to," Della Maddalena said. He added, "So I didn't wanna get sucked in too early." An April or May return would mean about a year out. His plan since Perth, he told Bedtime MMA, has been to "develop the skills, become a better martial artist."

Where they stand

He is 18-4, still No. 4 in the UFC's media-panel rankings, and has lost twice in a row. He won the title from Belal Muhammad in May 2025. Islam Makhachev took it at UFC 322 in November 2025, 50-45 on all three cards. Carlos Prates then stopped him at 3:17 of the third round at home in Perth on May 2.

Malott, ranked No. 10, is 15-2 and has won five straight, ending with a second-round knee knockout of Joaquin Buckley on Oct. 17. Asked about Della Maddalena in Edmonton, he told reporters, "Any of these (top-10) guys get me excited." He added, "I'm ready to defend Canada in the Octagon, so when they come back in January, expect me to be there." He isn't on the announced card.

The two have never met, but both outpointed Kevin Holland and stopped Gilbert Burns in the third round.

Backing Della Maddalena at the close in all 10 UFC fights would have returned +2.58 units at one unit a fight; he won eight. He lost his last two at +260 (27%) and -110 (50%). Malott has won seven of his eight priced UFC fights, a +2.69-unit return, closing at -132 (54%) against Buckley. Those are past closing prices, not anything on offer now, and we have no odds for this fight because it isn't booked.

The title picture

An interim champion is due before Della Maddalena returns, with Prates, who beat him in Perth, facing Michael Morales at UFC 336. Makhachev is the champion but isn't on the card. "He was slated for January, and then said 'I don't want to fight until after Ramadan,'" UFC president Dana White told reporters. Makhachev has argued Prates and Morales should fight each other first, according to MMA Sucka.

We think the calendar is the main obstacle. Malott would have to wait at least two months past the card he wants. Muhammad has also said he'd fight Malott if Kamaru Usman won't fight him, so a January booking against someone else looks likelier to us.