Fighting on the biggest stage in the sport, in your hometown, with your friends and family in the crowd against your toughest opponent to date can create a ton of pressure for any athlete – but that wasn’t the case for Jack Della Maddalena.
Della Maddalena’s performance at UFC 284 in Perth absolutely justified why fight fans and the UFC are so excited about the 26-year-old rising welterweight contender. He walked to the Octagon in front of 14,000 screaming fans and submitted Randy Brown in just over two minutes.
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“It was nice to be the hometown boy and get a big pop,” Della Maddalena told UFC.com. “It is something that I will remember forever.”
It was beyond impressive to see how Della Maddalena handled the moment, and the win helped him break into the welterweight Top 15 for the first time. 
Beating Brown also helped Della Maddalena land a Top 10 showdown with Sean Brady on UFC’s biggest event of the year, UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez. Unfortunately, with less than two weeks to go before the fight Brady was forced to withdraw from the bout, leaving Della Maddalena without an opponent.
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The UFC worked diligently to keep Della Maddalena on the card and selected undefeated UFC newcomer Josiah Harrell to fill in for Brady.
“We got the news that the original opponent pulled out, but UFC came through,” Della Maddalena said. “So, we were back on the card. Same job. Same goal.
“I wasn’t stressed but I was a bit worried that an opponent wouldn’t come through. It’s happened to me before in the UFC and the UFC said they would get me an opponent that time and they did. I just trusted the process and the UFC and thank God it came through.”
Staying on UFC 290 was important for Della Maddalena because of his hopes to get this fight in and be ready to turn around and fight at UFC 292 in Sydney, Australia.
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Even though things didn’t work out to compete with Brady this week, he hopes that the Philadelphian will be healthy by UFC 292, and they can make the fight happen then.
“It’s disappointing. I put a lot of work into that sort of challenge, and for that to not come through, it’s devastating, but it’s part of the game and things happen. I hope he’s all good and hopefully this is just a speed bump. Sydney is around the corner, and we can do that fight again in Sydney,” Della Maddalena said. “I think it was a good fight and it is a good challenge. I think it’s his turn to make the trip down under.”
Before he can refocus on Brady, he knows he has to take care of business against Harrell. It’s a risky fight for Della Maddalena, who carries his ranking and his undefeated UFC record into a fight against a fighter who has never stepped into the Octagon before.
“Nothing to lose on his side and everything to gain is a big opportunity,” Della Maddalena said. “I’m going in there like I’m fighting the best fighter in the world. I’m not taking any chances or underestimate him at all. I’m going to go in there and try to take him out.
“I think he’s going to come out intense. I think he’s going to have a fire burning and he’s going to go for it. I expect a good fight.”
Della Maddalena’s idea of a good fight doesn’t exactly mean a back-and-froth type battle. 
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In four UFC fights so far, Della Maddalena has finished all of his opponents inside the first round. He’s earned three straight Performance of the Night bonuses and if things go the way that Della Maddalena believes they will go at UFC 290, he’ll not only get his fifth first-round finish in a row, but he’ll add another POTN bonus to his resume.
“I’m ending it in the first round. The quicker the better. I want to get out unscathed and put on a beat down and head on home,” Della Maddalena said. “I’m gunning for the fourth [POTN]. I think my style creates good performances, so I’m going out there just to perform, and if I can bank another $50K, I’ll be stoked.”

Don’t miss a moment of UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez, live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prelims start at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC and ESPN, while the main card kicks off live on PPV at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
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