The UFC returns to Perth at the beginning of May, as Australian fans will be looking forward to another fight night in the RAC Arena.
The main attraction of the last event at the City of Light was when Carlos Ulberg knocked out Dominick Reyes in one round to claim a light heavyweight title shot at UFC 327.
The headliner of UFC Perth may just be a title eliminator between the two fighters as former UFC Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena takes on rising contender Carlos Prates.
Both men are technically in the title picture, but a win Down Under will strengthen someone’s position for championship contention.
An exciting, top-level striking matchup
Della Maddalena and Prates are heavily known for their work on the feet when they clash with their opponents in the Octagon.
The Aussie has a distinctive boxing style that makes it a problem for his opponents, as well as a decent grappling base to defend against takedowns.
‘The Nightmare’ has a similar fighting style as he uses his hands and elbows more for his attacks, occasionally throwing damaging knees and kicks to the body and legs.
Between the two of the top five 170-pound contenders, they share 30 KO/TKO victories as a knockout is always the main objective to triumph.
JDM aiming to bounce back from title loss
The 29-year-old lost his welterweight throne at Madison Square Garden in his last bout, suffering his first defeat in the organisation to Islam Makhachev by a dominant unanimous decision at UFC 322.
It was a slight surprise to many fans that Della Maddalena was unable to defend any takedowns in the five-round war based on his last performance.
The #1 contender successfully defended six of Belal Muhammad’s nine takedowns at UFC 315, as well as putting on a striking class to win the welterweight title in the first place.
In this case, takedown defence will not be a focus in JDM’s game plan as he takes on a fierce striker who rarely fights on the ground.
It’s fair to say the BJJ black belt had an interesting run to a shot at the 170-pound championship, onwards from 2023.
Della Maddalena submitted Randy Brown before edging back-to-back split decision victories over Bassil Hafez and Kevin Holland, eventually earning his title opportunity with a comeback TKO win against Gilbert Burns.
The Australian’s loss in New York was the first time he felt defeat in almost 10 years, as he lost his first two bouts of his MMA career.
Fighting in his hometown, it’s a brilliant chance for Della Maddalena to redeem himself with a very credible and well-respected opponent before requesting a rematch against Makhachev.
Prates hoping to make a statement for a golden opportunity
In the same event, Della Maddalena lost the title; the Brazilian devastatingly knocked out former UFC Champion Leon Edwards in round two.
It’s crazy to think that he may have been higher in the welterweight division, or would’ve already received a title shot, if he had not lost to Ian Machado Garry at UFC Kansas City in April 2025.
The 32-year-old did bounce back in tremendous style when he earned a buzzer-beater knockout with a spinning back elbow in the first round against Geoff Neal at UFC 319.
While there are a lot of dangerous and threatening contenders at 170 pounds, The Nightmare may just be the most feared one for good reason.
Prates’ last 12 victories have all ended by KO/TKO, as he consistently showcases the power in his arsenal.
Every opponent the Sao Paulo-born fighter faces in the Octagon is knocked out cold, as he loves nothing but carnage for the MMA fans to witness.
Unless you’re Charles Radtke, as the Fighting Nerds mixed martial artist landed a brutal knee to the American’s body to win by knockout, as it’s not just the chin he aims to hit.
The hype of Prates is truly real, and if he can upset the Australian fans at the RAC Arena, not only will he become the #1 contender, but he will definitely receive his golden opportunity.