Carlos Prates defeated Jack Della Maddalena by knockout in the third round at UFC Perth. Prates broke down and finished the Australian in the main event of the card. The Brazilian secured a significant victory in hostile territory. Details of the specific finish are limited in the announcement, but it was a decisive third-round stoppage. This represents a major win for Prates in the welterweight division.
Carlos Prates delivered a statement performance on enemy soil, stopping Jack Della Maddalena by TKO in the third round to claim the main event of UFC Perth on May 2, 2026.
Prates, known as "The Nightmare," entered the fight ranked fifth in the welterweight division with a record of 24-7. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach — advantages he used to methodically break down the hometown favorite. He lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at a 55 percent accuracy rate, a figure that speaks to his calculated, precise approach.
Della Maddalena came in ranked fourth in the division and 13th on the pound-for-pound list, carrying a record of 18-4 and the full backing of the Perth crowd behind him. The 29-year-old Australian trains out of Scrappy MMA and had built his reputation on an aggressive, high-output striking game, averaging 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy. Fighting out of a switch stance, he presented a dynamic and dangerous target, but Prates weathered the early exchanges and found his rhythm over the course of the fight.
The finish came in the third round, a decisive stoppage that denied Della Maddalena any path to a decision victory in front of his home fans.
Why it matters
- Prates leapfrogs Della Maddalena in the welterweight rankings conversation after a direct win over a top-five opponent.
- The result reshuffles the top of a crowded 170-pound division and strengthens Prates's case for a higher-profile matchup.
- Both fighters entered as switch-stance strikers, but Prates's reach advantage of five inches over Della Maddalena's 73-inch reach may have proved decisive in dictating range.
- Della Maddalena, still just 29, absorbs his first loss since entering the UFC's upper tier.
