A detailed fight analysis highlights Jack Della Maddalena's tactical errors against Joaquin Buckley. Della Maddalena relied heavily (approximately 90%) on a boxing guard for defense, which proved ineffective against Buckley's diverse arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. He fought predominantly in southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged by Islam Makhachev previously, and when he switched to orthodox, Buckley punished his left side with middle kicks. The analyst notes Della Maddalena lacked the speed and aggression needed to keep Buckley against the cage, and couldn't establish his rhythm. Della Maddalena's best chance would have been aggressive first-number work, forcing Buckley backward, but he wasn't aggressive enough and appeared cautious, especially after taking a knee. The analysis concludes that Buckley's versatility, power from all angles, confidence, and ability to use his reach would have resulted in a finish regardless of Della Maddalena's preparation. The post also discusses potential implications for Islam Makhachev versus Buckley matchup.
