Della Maddalena vs. Prates headlines UFC Perth May 2026

Jack Della Maddalena will put his status as one of the welterweight division's elite on the line when he faces Carlos "The Nightmare" Prates in the main event of UFC Fight Night at RAC Arena in Perth on May 2, 2026 — marking the first time in Australian history that a UFC Fight Night card has been scheduled for a Saturday night.

Della Maddalena, 29, carries an 18-4 record and holds the number four ranking in the welterweight division, with a number 13 spot on the pound-for-pound list. The Western Australian trains out of Scrappy MMA and fights out of a switch stance, standing five-foot-eleven with a 73-inch reach. He is one of the division's most aggressive output strikers, landing 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy.

Prates, a 32-year-old Brazilian representing Vale Top Team, enters the fight ranked fifth at 170 pounds with a record of 24-7. Known as "The Nightmare," he stands six-foot-one with a notably long 78-inch reach and fights out of a switch stance as well. He lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at a sharp 55 percent accuracy rate, suggesting a more measured and precise approach on the feet.

Why it matters

• Della Maddalena fighting at home in Perth gives the event enormous local significance and crowd support
• A win for either man strengthens a case for a potential title shot in a competitive welterweight division
• Both fighters are switch-stance strikers, setting up a technically rich stand-up contest with a notable reach advantage for Prates
• The Saturday-night scheduling breaks new ground for UFC events held on Australian soil