Jack Della Maddalena couldn’t resist engaging in a little back-and-forth with the notoriously chatty Kevin Holland in the Noche UFC co-main event. However, Maddalena managed to maintain his focus and ultimately emerged victorious, earning a split-decision triumph over Holland in their welterweight bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Back-and-Forth Banter
“I didn’t want to get involved, but it’s hard not to,” Maddalena said at the post-fight press conference. “I’ve never fought someone that does that sort of thing before, so it’s interesting.” Despite the friendly banter, Maddalena felt confident about his performance. “I thought I was winning,” Maddalena said. “I feel like I was pushing the pace, landing the heavier shots. As soon as I heard the split decision, you never know. You never know with the judges.”
Interesting Challenge
While Holland outlanded Maddalena by a 127-to-105 count in significant strikes per UFCStats.com, the Aussie appeared to land the more impactful offense over the course of the fight. Holland’s length and unorthodox striking ability presented an interesting challenge for Maddalena. “He’s hard to read and I didn’t know what to expect going in there, so I just wanted to be defensively sound in landing shots,” Maddalena said. “I wanted to try to take him out into the last round, but yeah, he was hard to read.”
After starting his promotional tenure with four consecutive first-round finishes, Maddalena has faced more challenging opponents in recent months, earning split-decision wins over Holland and short-notice opponent Bassil Hafez this past July. Maddalena believes these longer fights can be beneficial for his growth as a fighter. “Every fight you take things away,” Maddalena admitted. “Especially when you’ve got three rounds, there’s a lot more film to study and a lot more technical aspects you can work on. Just good experience.”
However, Maddalena is aware that the closely-contested victories don’t always resonate with fans as much as quick finishes do. When asked if he thinks his latest performance silenced his critics, he replied, “Probably not. I don’t think you ever shut everyone up. I’m sure they will keep talking s—t.”