Exclusive: Jack Della Maddalena names "dangerous" top 10 UFC welterweight he would like to fight in 2024 - "I'm gunning for that"

Jack Della Maddalena believes he's ready for the best in the division and has revealed he's targetting a 2024 bout against the No.6 ranked welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Della Maddalena has been on a tear since making his UFC debut in 2022 following an appearance on Dana White's Contender Series. The 26-year-old has not only won all four of his fights so far, he has finished every opponent he has faced inside the first round. His performances haven't got unnoticed either as he's earned three performance bonuses back-to-back in his last three outings.

The Australian was set to try and continue his fine form in the octagon this week at UFC 290, but disaster struck twice for the Australian. Both his scheduled opponents in Sean Brady and then Josiah Harrell have been forced out of the fight, meaning Jack Della Maddalena won't appear on this weekend's pay-per-view.

Prior to the fight being called off, Della Maddalena spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA's Andrew Whitelaw. During the interview, he was asked about his future, where he admitted he's already eyeing up the top 10 guys in the division. He said:

"All of them, the whole top 10. All of those fights excite me. I like trying to beat certain styles...Shavkat would be great. I'd love to fight him in the future. Hopefully that's a fight we can make next year. It's a big fight and I'm gunning for that."

Check out the exclusive interview here (5:55):

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Jack Della Maddalena weighs in on Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena has weighed in on a proposed bout at the top of the division which may feature Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev.

Chimaev had been set to move upto middleweight following his tumultuous weigh-in at UFC 279 last year, but so far nothing has been confirmed. For Usman, the former welterweight champ hasn't fought in the octagon since losing for the second time in a row to Leon Edwards earlier this year.

In the same interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Jack Della Maddalena was asked his thoughts on the potential scrap between the two welterweights. According to the 26-year-old, it's an exciting fight that makes sense. He said:

"I think that's a good fight. I think Usman has been a great champion and it only makes sense. We'll see how good Khamzat is and if Khamzat can beat him, he absolutely deserves a title shot. If Usman wins it shows he's still right there as one of the contenders." (7:10)

Watch UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez live in India from 7:30 AM onwards on Sunday, July 9, only on Sony Sports Network.