Jack Della Maddalena: Islam Makhachev's ally issues expert ultimatum for Jack Della Maddalena showdown at UFC 322: "You better set the tone"

Heading into UFC 322, many, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, believe Jack Della Maddalena is Islam Makhachev's toughest test yet. Now a legendary teammate of Makhachev from American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) has shared his opinion on what the sambo maestro should do to claim the win.

During the Weigh-In Show for the pay-per-view, former two-division champion Daniel Cormier delivered an ultimatum, demanding that Makhachev dictate the pace of the fight from the get-go.

As 'DC' sees it, his teammate needs to force Della Maddalena to go on the back foot to create opportunities for takedowns and get his own striking going. This approach, he believes, will chip away at the confidence the Australian carries from beating a proven wrestler like Belal Muhammad:

"Islam, you better set the tone of this fight. You cannot sit back and wait for Jack to determine where and how the fight takes place. You gotta push him against the octagon side and get him on his back foot. If you get him on his back foot, it will open takedowns, and it will also open your striking and chip away at the confidence that Jack is carrying into this fight after the Belal fight."

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Check out Daniel Cormier's advice for Islam Makhachev below:

Against Muhammad, Della Maddalena didn't face grappling pressure early. Although 'Remember the Name' tried to make it wrestling-heavy in the later rounds, a seemingly fatigued Muhammad failed to complete level change attempts effectively.

In the lead-up to UFC 322, Makhachev has praised the welterweight champion's grappling defense, even suggesting that he'd be willing to strike with Della Maddalena if his wrestling fails.

Islam Makhachev shares the "most challenging part" of his UFC 322 fight camp

No more having to cut down to 155 pounds, Islam Makhachev seems fresh and full of energy ahead of UFC 322. That said, the move up to 170 pounds was anything but a cakewalk for the Dagestani.

During an interview with Megan Olivi at the ceremonial weigh-ins, the 34-year-old confessed that gaining weight was one of the most challenging parts of his fight camp:

"Most challenging part was to become big, gain weight, and working with the big guys, to push myself, like, more than the other times. I've been fighting all my life, but tomorrow is different, tomorrow is the biggest day for me, the biggest day of my professional career. That's why I prepared myself very hard." [0:36 seconds into the interview]