Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates conducted their ceremonial face-off ahead of UFC Perth. The staredown took place following the pre-fight press conference. The post includes video footage of the encounter. Both fighters are set to compete on the upcoming UFC Perth card. No further details about their interaction or commentary from either fighter are provided in the post.
Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates stood face to face at the ceremonial staredown following the pre-fight press conference ahead of UFC Perth, with the two welterweights set to clash on the upcoming card.
Della Maddalena enters the fight as the fourth-ranked welterweight and sits at number 13 in the pound-for-pound standings. The 29-year-old Australian, who trains out of Scrappy MMA, carries an 18-4 record and has built a reputation as one of the division's most active and accurate strikers, landing 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy. He stands five-foot-eleven with a 73-inch reach and fights out of a switch stance.
Prates, known as The Nightmare, is ranked fifth in the welterweight division and brings a 24-7 record into the bout. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team stands six-foot-one with an exceptionally long 78-inch reach, also fighting switch. He lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute and connects at a 55 percent accuracy rate, making him one of the more precise volume strikers in the division.
Why it matters
- A win for Della Maddalena over a top-five opponent at home in Australia could push him firmly into title contention
- Prates cracking the top four would strengthen his own case for a welterweight title shot
- Both fighters are switch-stance strikers with heavy hands, setting up a technically complex stand-up matchup
- The reach advantage of five inches in favor of Prates adds another dimension to the striking puzzle Della Maddalena will need to solve
