It was announced that the former UFC welterweight champion and the Fighting Nerds standout will collide on May 2 in the UFC Perth Main Event. The pivotal 170-pound match will be held at the RAC Arena.
This will be Maddalena’s first fight since losing the welterweight gold to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322 in November 2025. It was a one-sided defeat and Maddalena will look to bounce back in emphatic fashion.
Prior to the announcement of the Prates fight, Maddalena told N3ON that he hoped to share the Octagon with Shavkat Rakhmonov.
‘Nothing locked up. Just wait,” Della Maddalena said. “I don’t know. I would like to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov. I’ve always wanted to fight him, but whether that happens or not, I don’t know. … That’s the fight. That’s a fight.”
The comment was made prior to the news of Rakhmonov’s latest injury. Maddalena mentioned Prates as a potential opponent, and he’s getting one of the fights he wanted.
“Otherwise maybe Michael Morales or Carlos Prates, one of those guys,” Della Maddalena added.
As for Prates, he recently denied rumors of a possible showdown with UFC megastar Conor McGregor. The ‘Infamous’ recently hinted that he would accept a fight with a ‘no name’, but Prates told ‘MMA HOJE’ that the path for him was Maddalena.
“People are just speculating,” Prates said. “But officially nothing has come to us yet. I just want to fight, man. My main goal is obviously a fight against Jack Della Maddalena, a man who will take me for the belt. But we are open to possibilities.”
What is your initial feeling on how Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates will play out at UFC Perth? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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