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Dana labels JDM a “promoters dream” | 01:20
Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena is already being discussed to fight for the UFC welterweight title in Australia later this year – while countryman Quillan Salkilld looks and sounds ready “to go hurt a man” come Sunday.
This is the message from popular UFC commentator Jon Anik, who is predicting the Octagon returns Down Under in 2025 if 28-year-old ‘Della’ can beat Englishman Leon Edwards in March.
UFC 312: Du Plessis v Strickland 2 | SUN 9 FEB | UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis is headed back Down Under for yet another title defence, with the South African set to face Sean Strickland in a blockbuster UFC 312 headliner in Sydney. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.
Having now arrived at that time in fight week made famous by his ‘One More Sleep’ line, Anik has also outed Salkilld, a rising Australian lightweight prospect, as the youngster who most impressed him during this week’s fighter meetings – in which UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis also revealed his entire game plan.
Only six months after upsetting Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, du Plessis is now back in Australia and looking to defend in a hyped rematch with American Sean Strickland.
Speaking about the headliner with Fox Sports Australia, Anik admitted “surprise” at exactly how much detail the champ had offered up during this week’s meetings with the UFC commentary team, saying “Dricus gave us every detail”.
Elsewhere on the card, another eight Australians are set to throw down inside Qudos Bank Arena, including UFC debutants Salkilld, Sydneysider Colby Thicknesse, and Victorian Jonathan Micallef.
Then next month, the ongoing rise and rise of Aussie fighters continues when Della Maddalena — who is undefeated in seven straight UFC appearances — looks to punch his way into a blockbuster world title fight against former world champion Edwards in London.
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While UFC boss Dana White has stopped short of calling the bout a No.1 contender showdown – and not yet revealed when Australia’s next Pay-Per-View card will be – Anik stresses “the UFC knows exactly what they have in Jack”
“So if Jack Della beats Leon Edwards, he’s fighting for the welterweight title,” the commentator said.
“They (the UFC) want a champion from this region, I don’t have to tell you that.
“So if Jack wins, his next fight will be for the belt and Perth, obviously, has been a great destination for us.
“If Jack beats Leon it stands to reason he fights for the belt in Perth later this year.”
Soon after, the UFC commentator also heaped praise on the fight week composure of Australia’s three Octagon newbies.
Among all the storylines surrounding UFC 312 this week, one of the greatest is that of Thicknesse, 25, having no less than Alexander Volkanovski in his corner.
A yarn proving more than a little ironic too given, the fighter opposite him, Aleksandre Topuria, will be cornered by his younger brother and UFC featherweight champ, Ilia Topuria.
But as for who impressed Anik most?
“Quillan Salkilld feels like he wants to go in there and hurt a man,” the commentator said, referencing the breakout West Australian lightweight who won his way into this event via Dana White’s Contender Series.
“I like the intensity, like the focus we got from him.
“And I think he has a pretty good match up in front of him (against Anshul Jubli).
“Often times though, you don’t know how these fighters are going to respond in the big show.
“It’s great, for example, that Colby Thicknesse has been under the watchful eye of coach Joe Lopez since he was 12 years old.
“But how does his game actually translate when fighting somebody like Aleksandre Topuria in the UFC? Dealing with all the pressure, all the emotion that comes with that?
“The three UFC newcomers – Colby, Quillan and Jon — all seem even keeled, all seem to have a maturity that belies their years.
“But those lights hit bright Sunday and we’ll see who can handle it.”
One fighter, undeniably, who has proved himself capable of handling it is DDP.
Despite boasting a style that has been branded awkward, ugly, even likened to a gorilla on rollerskates, South Africa’s fighting superstar remains undefeated in the Octagon – and looking to make Strickland his second straight title defence.
So as for those meetings with the champ?
“When it comes to what fighters share, it really is a wide gamut,” Anik starts.
“Take Valentina Shevchenko, who comes into our meetings in energy conservation mode, doesn’t give us anything.
“And competitively, that’s OK.
“But you juxtapose that with Dricus du Plessis who this week gave us every detail of his training camp, every detail of his game plan.
UFC 312: Du Plessis v Strickland 2 | SUN 9 FEB | UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis is headed back Down Under for yet another title defence, with the South African set to face Sean Strickland in a blockbuster UFC 312 headliner in Sydney. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.
Which has to be unusual, right?
“Especially without saying ‘hey is this going to be used before the broadcast’ or asking to go off the record,” Anik agrees.
“But Dricus, he never goes off the record.
“Never asks for the Embedded cameras to leave.
“And, yes, I am surprised Dricus is so revealing.
“But I think part of it’s rooted in just how confident he is going into this rematch.”
Asked if any of those revelations though might actually be South African subterfuge, Anik says: “When Dricus tells the masses he expects Sean Strickland to wrestle, part of me does wonder if that’s strategic.
“If maybe there is a method to the madness.
“That he wants Sean to think he’s going to wrestle and that is false information he’s throwing out there.”
Elsewhere, Anik said he was shocked by revelations from the TAB earlier this week that betting on UFC 312 had been running so overwhelmingly for the champ, DDP bets encompassed 97 per cent of the pool.
“That’s crazy to me,” he said. “It really is
“But I think increasingly as people have got eyes on Dricus du Plessis this week, they see the confidence with which he’s carrying himself, see that he’s in the best shape of his life.
“Most of the pro fighters are picking du Plessis to win, too.
“Obviously I don’t have to tell you that when they set a betting line, they’re trying to get two way action … and it doesn’t seem like that action is coming in on Sean Strickland.”
