PERTH, AUSTRALIA – MAY 01: (L-R) Opponents Jack Della Maddalena of Australia and Carlos Prates of Brazil face off during the UFC Fight Night ceremonial weigh-in at RAC Arena on May 01, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

The UFC Fight Night in Perth, Australia, Main Event between welterweight contenders Carlos Prates and former champion Jack Della Maddalena promises to be a thrilling fight for MMA fans. Della Maddalena (18-3, 12 KOs, 2 Sub) is returning to the Octagon for the first time since losing the welterweight championship to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322. He will do so in his home city of Perth, Australia. Before UFC 322, De Maddalena enjoyed an eighteen-fight win streak and was a perfect 9-0 under the UFC banner. JDM captured the welterweight championship with a unanimous decision victory against Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in Montreal. JDM’s elite boxing, fast pace, and solid takedown defense helped him become a champion at just 28 years old. The sky appeared to be the limit for JDM’s career. Still, it was outclassed, dominated, and embarrassed by former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 322, with the challenger posting 19:10 seconds of ground control in the twenty-five-minute fight. On May 2nd, Jack Della Maddalena will look to rebuild his stock by getting back in the win column against Carlos Prates. 

Carlos Prates (23-7, 18 KOs, 3 Sub) is the most marketable fighter in the UFC’s welterweight division. A member of the Fighting Nerds team out of São Paulo, Brazil, which has caught the MMA world by storm with their marketability, colorful personalities, and exciting fight style, with 15 Performance Bonuses between the four Fighting Nerds since 2024. No member of the fighting nerds is more marketable, colorful, and exciting than Carlos Prates, who has six performance of the night bonuses in seven UFC fights. In a short two years in the UFC, Prates has established himself as must-watch television. He is 6-1 in the UFC with his only loss being against #2 contender Ian Machado Garry. In the fight with Machado Garry, Prates looked slower and a bit hesitant, but as the fight progressed, he demonstrated his dangerous power and nearly earned a last-minute TKO victory. Since then, Prates has won his last two fights, knocking out Geoff Neal and former welterweight champion Leon Edwards. 

Earlier this week, Verdict MMA posted that they have a rare 50/50 split amongst fans on the Verdict MMA app. Visualizing how this fight plays out is interesting. Here’s what we know. Jack Della Maddalena is an elite welterweight. He proved that at UFC 315, when he became champion. We also know that he’s the more tactical fighter in Saturday’s main event. JDM possesses excellent footwork; he gets in the advantageous positions, throws more combinations, and his 63.3% striking defense is tied for first among active welterweights, and his 1.55 striking differential ranks 6th. Prates, on the other hand, is more of a brawler. Prates’s Significant Strike Defense of 47% illustrates that he gets hit more frequently. Prates’s fight with Geoff Neal at UFC 319 is a good example of his tendency to engage in brawls and trade strikes with his opponents. In the one-round affair, Geoff Neal landed 25 strikes to Prates’s 32. Jack Della Maddalena is a higher-caliber striker than Geoff Neal and could present a major threat to Carlos Prates’s welterweight title hopes.

Given this information, it is easier to assume JDM will win on Saturday. He is the cleaner striker, demonstrating a more disciplined approach and superior footwork and defense. If he can mix it up, go for takedowns, and change levels, he can make it a long night for Carlos Prates. Overall, JDM has the technical advantage, and there’s an old saying in boxing: “skills pay the bills.” However, this isn’t boxing. With 4 oz gloves, fighters who possess more power have a significant advantage in MMA. If Carlos Prates has one distinct advantage in this fight, it’s the ability to change the course of the fight with his one-shot power. Prates has knocked out 12 of his last 13 opponents. The only man to hear the final bell against Prates since 2020 was Ian Machado Garry, who barely survived the final moments of the fight. 

Despite Jack Della Maddalena’s technical advantage and proven elite pedigree, I believe Carlos Prates will win this fight. He has the power, size, and reach advantages. At 6 feet 1, Prates is two inches taller than JDM, and with a 78-inch reach, he possesses a five-inch reach advantage. Prates can control the distance in this fight, and if JDM wants to get in range to throw combinations, he will experience the one-shot power of Carlos Prates. JDM will have success in this fight. He is a technical fighter with good footwork and excellent boxing. Nonetheless, Prates’s pressure-forward style, size, length, and composure in the octagon are a lot to handle. In a five-round fight, Carlos Prates will eventually land a devastating shot and hurt his opponent. The strengths of both fighters are their striking, and I think a matchup between two strikers benefits Carlos Prates. I expect Prates to win by 3rd-round KO.