Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates participated in their first staredown ahead of their welterweight bout at UFC Perth. The face-off was captured on video and shared by UFC Eurasia. The two fighters are scheduled to compete in what is expected to be an explosive striker-versus-striker matchup. The staredown marks an escalation in the pre-fight promotion for the Australian event. Both fighters are known for their knockout power and aggressive fighting styles.
Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates came face to face for the first time ahead of their welterweight clash at UFC Perth, with UFC Eurasia capturing and sharing the tense staredown as pre-fight promotion for the Australian event builds momentum.
Della Maddalena enters the bout as the home fighter, a 29-year-old Australian fighting out of Scrappy MMA. Ranked fourth in the welterweight division and 13th in the pound-for-pound standings, he carries an 18-4 record and brings some of the most relentless output in the division. He lands 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy, working from a switch stance with a 73-inch reach. His game is almost entirely stand-up oriented, averaging just 0.13 takedowns and 0.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," is a 32-year-old Brazilian fighting out of Vale Top Team who holds a 24-7 record and sits fifth in the welterweight rankings. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, he also fights out of a switch stance and brings sharp, accurate striking to the cage, landing at 55 percent accuracy and averaging 3.77 significant strikes per minute. Like his opponent, Prates rarely looks to take the fight to the ground, recording zero submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Both fighters rank inside the welterweight top five, meaning the winner could push directly into title contention
- The matchup pits two switch-stance strikers with knockout power against each other, with a combined reach advantage of five inches favoring Prates
- Della Maddalena's volume output against Prates's accuracy and length sets up a compelling stylistic contrast
- A finish by either man would carry significant divisional weight at 170 pounds
