Jack Della Maddalena Turns Down UFC Sydney, Targets Spring Return

Jack Della Maddalena had a chance to join the UFC's February return to Sydney. He passed.

The former welterweight champion said the promotion approached him about the home card, but he plans to stay out until April or May 2027. After two straight losses, he would rather spend several uninterrupted months improving than let another Australian date hurry him into camp.

That makes Della Maddalena's next step clearer without giving him an opponent. Mike Malott interests him, but there is no booking, contract or confirmed location for that fight.

Why Sydney came too soon

Della Maddalena told Bedtime MMA that fighting in Australia still appeals to him. The crowd support is real. So is the extra pressure that comes with building a camp around a hometown event.

"The Sydney card would obviously be sick," Della Maddalena said. "It was a good opportunity. They did ask, but I feel like the last one, I sort of just jumped into the Perth fight because I kind of had to."

His Perth return in May ended with Carlos Prates stopping him in the third round. That followed Della Maddalena's November 2025 title loss to Islam Makhachev, who won a five-round decision and ended the Australian's 18-fight winning streak.

Two defeats do not erase the run that made Della Maddalena a champion. They do explain why he is resisting the calendar this time. He said his plan after the Prates loss was to "develop the skills" and become a better martial artist before accepting another fight.

"I wanted to give the best performance for the fans, for the team," he said. "I'm just going to ride it out a bit, but ready to go April, May next year."

The decision costs the Sydney card a major Australian name. It may help Della Maddalena more than a quick return would. A fight camp is built around one opponent and one date. Time outside camp lets a fighter work on weaknesses without spending every session preparing for a specific style.

Della Maddalena did not identify one technical problem that he plans to fix. His two losses asked very different questions. Makhachev controlled a five-round title fight, while Prates found the finish with strikes. Treating the skid as one simple flaw would be convenient, but it would not match what happened. Several months of general training give Della Maddalena and his coaches room to work across phases instead of trying to solve everything inside an eight-week camp.

The Sydney show still has a major local attraction. Robert Whittaker is booked to face Bogdan Guskov in the co-main event. Della Maddalena's decision changes the card's depth, not its announced top billing.

Mike Malott is an option, not a booking

Malott called for Della Maddalena after stopping Joaquin Buckley last month. The Canadian has won five straight and sits at No. 10 in the UFC's current welterweight rankings. Della Maddalena is No. 4.

Asked about the matchup, Della Maddalena answered, "Yeah, for sure, I'd be into that." He also made clear that he is not trying to choose his own opponent months before he is ready.

That distinction matters. Interest is not an agreement, and neither man has announced that the UFC offered them the fight. Della Maddalena expects the division to move before spring and said he is willing to face whoever the promotion puts in front of him.

Malott would make sense if the timing works. He has climbed the division with an 8-1 UFC record, and a win over a former champion would move him much closer to the top. Della Maddalena, meanwhile, would get a ranked opponent on a winning streak without being thrown straight back into a title eliminator.

The calendar is the obvious snag. Malott had been linked in discussion to the UFC's January event in Toronto, while Della Maddalena says he will not be ready until April or May. The UFC can wait, or it can send both men in different directions.

What the delay changes at welterweight

Della Maddalena is 18-4 overall with 12 knockout wins, according to his UFC profile. His first two professional fights were losses. He then won 18 in a row, beat Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title and lost the belt in his first defense against Makhachev.

His position is unusual. He is still ranked inside the top five, but the division does not need to rush him back into the championship queue. Ian Machado Garry, Carlos Prates and Michael Morales are all ranked above him, while contenders below him will keep fighting during his break.

A spring return could leave Della Maddalena with a different set of choices than he has now. Someone may break into the top five. A title contender may lose and need a rebound fight. Malott may take another bout rather than wait.

Della Maddalena also said he feels less pressure fighting outside Australia. That leaves the UFC free to use him on a U.S. card or another international event once he is ready. For now, the useful information is the timeline: Sydney was offered, he declined it, and April or May is the target. Anything more specific remains unbooked.