Jack Della Maddalena’s coach issues statement following UFC Perth stoppage loss – ‘We are all hurting’

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 02: Jack Della Maddalena of Australia looks on against Carlos Prates of Brazil in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at RAC Arena on May 02, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

It was a rough night for Scrappy MMA.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena suffered a third-round stoppage loss to surging Brazilian contender Carlos Prates at UFC Perth this past weekend (Sat., May 2, 2026) inside RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia (watch highlights).

While ”JDM” has yet to publicly address the defeat, his head coach at Scrappy MMA, Ben Vickers, shared a brief but telling message shortly after the fight.

“We are all hurting today in different ways, but that’s the game we play, we will rebuild and come back stronger. Thank you for all of the messages of support,” Vickers wrote on Instagram.

The loss marks a tough stretch for the Australian standout, who has now dropped back-to-back fights for the first time since the start of his professional career in 2016. It also likely costs him his No. 1-ranking in the Welterweight division.