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Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates are on a collision course.
It was announced that the former UFC Welterweight Champion and the Fighting Nerds standout are scheduled to collide in the UFC Perth main event on May 2. The pivotal 170-pound clash will be held inside RAC Arena.
This will be Maddalena’s first fight since losing the welterweight gold to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322 back in Nov. 2025. It was a one-sided defeat, and Maddalena will be looking to rebound in emphatic fashion.
Prior to the announcement of the Prates fight, Maddalena told N3ON that he hoped to be able to share the Octagon with Shavkat Rakhmonov.
“Nothing locked in. Just waiting,” 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 news of Rakhmonov’s latest injury setback. Maddalena did name-drop Prates as a potential opponent, and he’ll be getting one of the bouts 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 “Notorious” one recently hinted at accepting 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 reached us yet. I just want to fight, man. Obviously, my main goal is a fight against Jack Della Maddalena, a guy that takes me to the belt. But we’re open to possibilities.”
What is your early feeling on how Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates will play out at UFC Perth? Share your opinion in the comments below.
