Preview: UFC on ESPN 49 Prelims

Welterweights

#14 WW | Jack Della Maddalena (14-2, 4-0 UFC) vs. Bassil Hafez (8-3-1, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Della Maddalena (-625), Hafez (+440)

Good on Della Maddalena for staying busy, as the Australian enjoyed a breakout year in 2022. Della Maddalena showed some promise in his contract-earning win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, but following it with first-round knockouts of Pete Rodriguez, Ramazan Emeev and Danny Roberts set him up for some big things heading into 2023. Della Maddalena blew through his next big test, clubbing and subbing Randy Brown in under three minutes for a hometown win in Perth in February, and the expectation was that he would get a ranked opponent next time up. Indeed, he was set for a fight against Sean Brady on July 8. However, Brady eventually wound up pulling out of the pairing, and late-notice replacement Josiah Harrell was pulled after his pre-fight medicals revealed a rare brain disease, leaving Della Maddalena without an opponent. Rather than wait for the UFC’s return to Australia in September, Della Maddalena made it known he was willing to fight whoever was available a week later on this card. A promotional newcomer in Hafez steps into the void. If nothing else, Hafez is a more dangerous opponent than Harrell, with a solid frame for welterweight and a tendency to hunt for a quick knockout before settling down. Given that Della Maddalena’s style is built around absorbing offense in the name of throwing extended combinations of his own, that does give Hafez the proverbial puncher’s chance if he decides to sell out on going for a quick win and sorting out the rest later. Beyond that, Della Maddalena should take over this fight in short order, particularly since his combination of aggression and diverse striking is built to take an opening and tear it wide open to get the ball rolling towards a finish. The pick is Della Maddalena via first-round knockout.

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