Gilbert Burns talked about his upcoming fight against Jack Della Maddalena and how a win would put him back in the UFC welterweight title picture.
On May 6, Burns’ two-fight winning streak was ended by a unanimous decision loss in a short-notice bout against Belal Muhammad. ‘Durinho’ suffered a severe shoulder injury during the UFC 288 fight, but luckily, he avoided surgery and recovered during the second half of 2023.
Burns plans to return to the win column when he faces the number eleven-ranked Jack Della Maddalena on March 9 at UFC 299.
Some people wondered why ‘Durinho’ would fight so far back in the rankings since he’s number four in the welterweight division, which he recently explained on the JAXXON PODCAST:
“Colby [Covington] just fought. He’s not going to fight for a while. Leon [Edwards] just won. Belal [Muhammad] is next. Kamaru [Usman] is not fighting right now. If we kind of looking for the numbers, a lot of guys that the number makes sense, they aren’t there. So, the way I see it, I’m coming from a loss. I gotta go in there and get a win and then I’m in the conversation again.”
Some HUGE news confirmed for #UFC299 in Miami!! 🚨
Michael 'Venom' Page vs Kevin Holland
Song Yadong vs Petr Yan
Gilbert Burns vs Jack Della Maddalena
Ian Garry vs Geoff NealALL official for March 9th pic.twitter.com/kNljpBLpY0
— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023
Gilbert Burns says Jack Della Maddalena is ‘a little bit scary’
Jack Della Maddalena made his UFC debut in January 2022 after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. Since then, the Aussie has established himself as a rising superstar after winning six consecutive fights, including four inside the distance.
During the previously mentioned podcast appearance, Gilbert Burns had this to say about his upcoming opponent:
“[Jack Della Maddalena] is very tough. Like I said, he’s 6-0 in the UFC. He’s got crazy knockouts, good boxer, heavy boxer. He’s not just a regular boxer, he rips te guys’ bodies. He comes forward kind of like [Paulo] Costa. He fights coming forward, rips the body, so the guy is a good guy. He’s that guy that’s a is very tough, that is a little bit scary. I like that. When I feel like, oh, sh*t, if I’m not 100%, it might get crazy.”
Jack Della Maddalena started his UFC tenure with four consecutive finishes before winning his last two fights by split decision. The 27-year-old has shown world championship potential, but he must validate further those expectations during his step-up in competition against Gilbert Burns.
Watch Gilbert Burns’ entire appearance on the JAXXON PODCAST below:
