Carlos Prates's daughter met his opponent Jack Della Maddalena in a lighthearted encounter. The child asked Della Maddalena if he was a bad guy, referencing her father's comment. Della Maddalena responded good-naturedly, saying he's not a bad guy but a good guy. The meeting appears to have taken place during promotional activities ahead of their scheduled bout. This social interaction offers a glimpse into the fighters' personalities outside the cage. Both men are set to face each other at UFC Perth.
A lighthearted moment from UFC Perth's promotional activities went viral when Carlos Prates's young daughter came face to face with his upcoming opponent, Jack Della Maddalena. The child, apparently repeating something her father had said, asked Della Maddalena whether he was a bad guy. The Australian welterweight took the question in stride, telling her he was not a bad guy but, in fact, a good one.
Della Maddalena, 29, enters the Perth card ranked fourth in the welterweight division and thirteenth in the pound-for-pound standings, carrying an 18-4 record. Fighting out of Scrappy MMA, the switch-stance striker lands an impressive 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy, making him one of the more active and dangerous hands in the 170-pound class.
His opponent, Carlos "The Nightmare" Prates, is a 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team who holds a 24-7 record and sits one spot behind Della Maddalena at fifth in the welterweight rankings. Prates brings a longer frame into the cage, standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, and connects on 55 percent of his significant strikes — a slightly higher accuracy rate than his opponent.
Why it matters
- A win for either fighter would likely push them into title contention at 170 pounds, with the top three of the division directly in sight.
- Prates's reach advantage of roughly five inches over Della Maddalena — 198 cm compared to 185 cm — sets up an intriguing range battle between two switch-stance strikers.
- Both men are ranked inside the top five, meaning the loser faces a meaningful step back in the divisional queue.
The brief exchange between a curious child and a top-five welterweight added a rare human touch to what is shaping up to be one of the more consequential bouts on the UFC Perth card.
