RAC Arena, Perth. Tonight. Two of welterweight’s most dangerous strikers, one five-round main event, zero margin for error. Jack Della Maddalena — former UFC welterweight champion, ranked number one in the division, fighting on home soil in front of 14,000 Australians — meets Carlos Prates, the Brazilian who became the first person to knock out Leon Edwards and ranks fifth in the world. This is not a gatekeeper fight. This is a genuine title eliminator, and the winner goes to the front of the queue for Shavkat Rakhmonov's belt.
- UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates takes place tonight, May 2, at RAC Arena, Perth.
- Main card begins at 7am ET / 4am PT (early morning US time due to Australia time zone).
- Both fighters are ranked in the UFC welterweight top five — winner likely next in line for the title.
Why This Fight Is a Welterweight Title Eliminator
Jack Della Maddalena (18-3-0) is ranked number one at welterweight in 2026. He held the UFC welterweight title and lost it to Islam Makhachev in a cross-division superfight earlier this year — a loss that knocked him down the rankings but not off the radar. With Makhachev's dominance at lightweight still intact, Rakhmonov holds the 170lb title and wants elite competition. Carlos Prates (23-7-0) gave him that with the Edwards knockout — a statement finish that no one in the division saw coming.
According to UFC.com, Della Maddalena brings a 12-2-9 record to this fight, meaning nine of his wins have come inside the distance. Prates has 18 of his 23 wins by stoppage — a 78 per cent finish rate that puts him among the most dangerous strikers in the division. Neither man is here to go to a decision.
Jack Della Maddalena: The Perth Kid With Championship Credentials
Della Maddalena is 30 years old and has been building toward this moment for four years. Born in Perth, trained at City Kickboxing and various Australian camps, he represents the culmination of a generation of Australian MMA talent that has consistently punched above its weight on the global stage. His striking is crisp, economical, and backed by elite grappling defence that protects him against the takedown-heavy fighters who once exploited his style.
The loss to Makhachev needs context. Makhachev is arguably the best mixed martial artist on the planet. His grappling control time at 170lbs was 82 per cent in that fight, according to UFC Stats — the highest any opponent has recorded against Della Maddalena. At welterweight proper, against a pure striker like Prates, Jack's home-field advantage is not just psychological. Perth crowds are vocal and they have been behind Della Maddalena since his early UFC days. That support matters in a five-round main event where the margins are small.
Della Maddalena's Striking Numbers (UFC Career)
His significant strikes landed per minute in UFC welterweight fights averages 5.4 — above the divisional average. His striking accuracy sits at 52 per cent, with a counter-punching style that becomes more dangerous when opponents over-commit. In five-round fights specifically, Della Maddalena's late-round finishing rate is notable: three of his UFC stoppage wins have come in rounds four or five.
Carlos Prates: The Nightmare with a Proven Record Against Champions
Carlos "The Nightmare" Prates is the most talked-about fighter in the welterweight division since his Leon Edwards knockout. Edwards was a former champion; his chin was considered durable. Prates dropped him with a left hand-right kick combination in the second round that had the MMA world reshuffling its divisional rankings overnight.
Prates is 29 years old, from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and has trained under a system that emphasises volume striking and constant pressure. He does not coast. In his last three UFC fights, he has averaged 6.2 significant strikes landed per minute — the highest of any active top-ten welterweight, per UFC Stats. His cardio across five rounds is untested at this level against a natural welterweight of Della Maddalena's calibre. That is the key question.
For context on how the UFC welterweight title picture has evolved this year, our UFC 328 preview covering Chimaev vs Strickland details the parallel power shift at middleweight. You can also follow all our MMA coverage for ongoing divisional breakdowns.
Fight Breakdown: How This Gets Finished
Both fighters want the knockout. Neither has been dominant in round-by-round grappling exchanges. That sets up a stand-up war, and in a stand-up war at welterweight, very few outcomes are guaranteed. Two scenarios look most likely.
Scenario A — Della Maddalena by late TKO. If the fight is competitive through rounds one and two — which it almost certainly will be — the Australian's experience in five-rounders and home-crowd energy starts to tilt the dynamic. Prates' volume has never been tested past three rounds against an elite opponent. If Della Maddalena can weather the early storm, he gets stronger as the fight continues. His late-round finishing record at this level is the single most compelling statistical argument for his path to victory.
Scenario B — Prates by early KO. He has shown once already that he can knock out a former champion. If Della Maddalena gets caught early — if the left-right combination that erased Edwards lands again on different coordinates — this fight ends in rounds one or two. The Nightmare is at his most dangerous in the first six minutes. If Della Maddalena weathers that period, the odds shift significantly.
Undercard Fights to Watch
The UFC Perth card features several Australian fighters below the main event, making this an unusually patriotic evening for the host nation. The welterweight division's depth is on display throughout the card. This is the last major UFC event before UFC 328 — Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland for the middleweight title — which takes place in Newark on May 9. The contrast in styles between the two main events is stark: Perth is a striker's fight, Newark will be Chimaev's wrestling versus Strickland's durability and volume. Both are must-watch.
Key Takeaways
Here is what you need to know before UFC Perth:
- Jack Della Maddalena (ranked #1) faces Carlos Prates (ranked #5) in a five-round welterweight main event at RAC Arena, Perth, tonight.
- Prates is the first man to knock out Leon Edwards — his finishing rate of 78 per cent makes him the most dangerous threat to Della Maddalena this year.
- Della Maddalena's record in late-round UFC finishes (rounds 4-5) is three from his career stoppage wins — the statistical case for backing him in a five-rounder.
- The winner is next in line for Shavkat Rakhmonov's welterweight title belt.
- UFC 328 follows next weekend on May 9 in Newark — full event details and fighter records are at UFC.com/events — Chimaev vs Strickland for the middleweight championship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is UFC Perth tonight in Australia?
UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates takes place at RAC Arena in Perth on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The main card begins at 7pm AWST (Western Australian Standard Time). For US viewers, that translates to 7am ET / 4am PT. The event streams live on Paramount+.
What is Jack Della Maddalena's UFC record?
Jack Della Maddalena holds an 18-3-0 professional record entering UFC Perth, with the last three losses coming at championship level including his loss to Islam Makhachev. He is ranked number one in the UFC welterweight division and is the favourite for tonight's five-round main event on home soil.
Has Carlos Prates fought a former champion before?
Yes. Carlos Prates knocked out former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards in 2026, becoming the first fighter to finish Edwards by knockout in his professional career. That win moved Prates to fifth in the welterweight rankings and set up tonight's main event against Della Maddalena.
Who fights at UFC 328 next week?
UFC 328 takes place on May 9, 2026, in Newark, New Jersey. The main event is Khamzat Chimaev defending his UFC middleweight title against former champion Sean Strickland. Chimaev is undefeated at 15-0 and enters as the heavy favourite in what shapes up as a striking versus wrestling battle.
Perth is going to be loud tonight. Della Maddalena will have the crowd. Prates has the finishing instinct. Our prediction at Unicorn Blogger is Della Maddalena by TKO in round four — if he survives the first two rounds, his conditioning and home-crowd energy become decisive advantages in the championship rounds. Watch the early exchanges closely. If Prates lands clean in round one, all bets are off.
