JDM, Prates, & Four Surgeries - Oh My

Today at 08:30 PM

We missed out on a wicked fight.

Surging Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight title contender Jack Della Maddalena is FINALLY back as he headlines his first UFC event against former champion Leon Edwards in March for UFC London.

If you were wondering where "JDM" has been, he's been dealing with a nasty arm injury he suffered in his knockout win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 299 last year (April 2024).

On the Ariel Helwani show today (Wed., Jan. 22, 2024), the Australian knockout artist revealed he has had four surgeries to repair his broken arm, and with that came a bone infection.

The bone infection happened after his first surgery and immediately after he flew back to Perth, Australia.

"After the surgery, [my arm] became infected, and the wound started dehiscing after 10 days. It started spitting and oozing stuff," Maddalena said. "The surgeon came in and said the bone itself was infected and coming through the skin. It was pretty nasty."

Six months after his fight, around Oct. 2024, Maddalena had full power back in his arm and was ready to get back into the cage. Unfortunately, he missed the chance to fight in Perth again when the UFC traveled there for UFC 305 in Aug. 2024, but when he got word that Sydney was the next event in Australia, he wanted to be on the card.

No one wanted to fight "JDM" other than Carlos Prates, who exploded on the UFC scene last year with four knockout wins and a top 15 ranking. But even though Prates is ranked much lower than Maddalena, he was down to fight him.

As "JDM" was getting ready to contact the UFC about a potential Prates matchup, the promotion offered him Edwards, and he couldn't turn it down.

"They came to me and said, 'Do you want to fight Leon in London?' and I just thought, 'Yep, let's just take the fight.' It's a big fight with a former champion, and it gives me an extra few weeks to ensure that my arm is strong. I had to jump on it," Maddalena concluded.

"JDM" believes that he will get the next crack at the Welterweight title with a dominant win over Edwards.