Jack Della Maddalena has joined a concerning pattern of former UFC welterweight champions falling into losing streaks shortly after losing their titles. The Australian has now lost two consecutive fights, following a trend seen with other welterweight champions. Previous champions who experienced similar downturns include Johny Hendricks (3 losses), Robbie Lawler (4 losses), Tyron Woodley (4 losses), Kamaru Usman (3 losses), Leon Edwards (3 losses), and Belal Muhammad (2 losses). The post describes this as an unpleasant tendency plaguing the welterweight division.
Jack Della Maddalena has become the latest name added to a troubling list of UFC welterweight champions who suffered consecutive losses after relinquishing the title, extending what has become one of the division's most persistent patterns.
The 29-year-old Australian, now 18-4-0 and ranked fourth at welterweight and thirteenth pound-for-pound, built his reputation on sharp, high-volume striking out of a switch stance. He lands 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy — numbers that made him one of the more dangerous finishers to hold the 170-pound title. Two straight defeats have now followed his championship run, placing him squarely inside a trend that has consumed former titleholders for over a decade.
Johny Hendricks, the hard-hitting southpaw from the United States who carried a 3.83-takedown-per-15-minutes average throughout his career, dropped three in a row after his reign ended. Robbie Lawler lost four consecutive. Tyron Woodley matched that total. Kamaru Usman fell into a three-fight skid. Leon Edwards then did the same, losing three straight after his time at the top.
Most recently, Belal Muhammad — the Roufusport veteran who sits at 24-5-0, currently ranked sixth in the division and eighth pound-for-pound at 37 years old — also fell into a two-fight losing streak following his title loss, mirroring Della Maddalena's current situation.
Why it matters
- The welterweight division has now produced at least six consecutive champions who lost multiple fights immediately after their reigns ended.
- Della Maddalena's drop to fourth in the divisional rankings signals a meaningful reshuffling at 170 pounds.
- His switch-stance striking style, while prolific, has been exposed in back-to-back contests, raising questions about adjustments opponents have made against him.
