Outside Source
Maddalena lost his title to Makhachev via a unanimous decision at UFC 322 this past November. The Australian is looking to fight top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov next. Maddalena believes a win over Rakhmonov earns him an immediate rematch against Makhachev.
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A Path Back to Championship Glory
“Islam’s wrestling is good,” Maddalena told YouTuber N3on. “He’s good at holding people down, pinning. He’s really good at pinning people, and I got stuck there. [Rematch] is the dream, and that’s why I want to fight Shavkat, because beating someone like him, you get thrown right back in there.”
Rakhmonov (19-0) was originally expected to challenge Belal Muhammad for the title last year. However, the undefeated Kazakh couldn’t accept the fight due to an unspecified injury. The opportunity instead went to Maddalena (18-3), who dethroned Muhammad in an upset at UFC 315 in May.
Maddalena was riding an 18-fight winning streak before his loss to Makhachev in his first defense. Meanwhile, Rakhmonov has finished 18 of his 19 career wins, which include seven UFC outings. “Nomad” saw the judges’ scorecard for the first time in his unanimous decision win over Ian Garry in his last outing in December 2024.
JDM believes beating Shavkat Rakhmonov will earn him a rematch against Islam Makhachev 🔥💪
“Islam’s wrestling is good. He’s good at holding people down, pinning. He’s really good at pinning people, and I got stuck there. [Rematch] is the dream, and that’s why I want to fight… pic.twitter.com/FB3QjYXPSU
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) January 4, 2026
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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