Carlos Prates delivered a stunning performance at UFC Perth, defeating former champion Jack Della Maddalena in a dominant fashion. Despite this victory, there is little interest in a title fight against Islam Makhachev.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 02: Carlos Prates of Brazil poses for a portrait after his victory during the UFC Fight Night event at RAC Arena on May 02, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC)
Carlos Prates was fâking incredible last night (May 2, 2026) in his main event destruction of former champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth.
Prates flew all the way to Della Maddalenaâs hometown to teach a Muay Thai masterclass. Though he offered his instruction free of charge, the cost was still high. 29-year-0ld Della Maddalena hasnât been stopped by strikes in a decade, yet he still wound up in a bloody heap after less than 15 total minutes. The Aussieâs lead leg was kicked to pieces, his liver smashed by high-velocity round kicks, and his skull repeatedly bludgeoned by an array of left hands, chopping elbows, and precision knees.
Less than a year ago, the same win would have earned him a world title.
Prates battered his fellow knockout artist mercilessly. It took him perhaps two minutes to gain a sense of his foeâs range and power, and then he took over with ease. He strategized perfectly for Della Maddalenaâs pressure and high guard, punishing all of the tendencies that have historically made Della Maddalena such an effective striker.
This victory clearly stands as the best performance of Pratesâ short UFC career, an eight-fight stretch that features seven brutal knockouts. In the sole exception, Pratesâ weaknesses were revealed by Ian Garry, who flustered the Brazilian was constant movement, excellent feints, and the rare gift of matching his height and length. In that bout, Prates spent too much time waiting for the big shot, falling so deep into a hole that even a violent fifth-round rally couldnât dig him out. Conversely, Prates filled empty space well in this fight. He didnât just wait for the knockout blow, as Prates was content to touch with his jab or kick at whatever target was easily available. As a result, his accuracy remained high and the damage built even more quickly.
The lack of interest stems from the perception that Prates' recent victory does not warrant a title shot against Makhachev.
Carlos Prates defeated Jack Della Maddalena in a main event at UFC Perth, showcasing his striking skills and dominating the fight.
Prates delivered an incredible performance, overwhelming Della Maddalena with effective striking and finishing him in under 15 minutes.
Despite his impressive win, Prates' title aspirations may be hindered by the lack of enthusiasm for a matchup against the current champion, Islam Makhachev.
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The Brazilian has clearly improved since his sole UFC defeat.
I am loathe to compare any UFC fighter to the great Anderson Silva, but there were moments where Prates achieved the same kind of kickboxing nirvana that is reserved for the likes of a prime âSpider.â There are plenty of differences between the two knockout artists, but Pratesâ use of low hand position, willingness to put himself on the fence, the flappy hand movement to discourage his opponentâs offense â those were all Silva staples. In both cases, composure, variety, and severe consequence make for a very dangerous knockout artist!
Pratesâ demolition job in Perth puts him on the level of Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria, the absolute top tier of knockout artist in the modern UFC. Unfortunately, the reward for Pratesâ level up seems to be an eventual title fight versus Islam Makhachev, who may or may not have to fight Garry first.
Itâs hard to imagine a more âNightmareâ matchup for Prates. The Brazilian gets taken down fairly often, but his size and jiu-jitsu black belt make him a difficult man to hold down. As we have repeatedly seen, however, scrambling up from beneath Makhachev is a nearly impossible task. Itâs much easier to imagine Prates pinned on the canvas for five excruciating rounds than it is to envision Prates scrambling back to his feet repeatedly while maintaining the venom in his strikes to hurt Makhachev.
Itâs a rough situation for both Prates and the UFC. Heâs a likable and generationally gifted knockout artist â a promoterâs dream! Prates has a strong chance to flatline just about every name on the list of ranked Welterweight contenders except the current champion. Fans arenât asking for that matchup even if Prates now deserves it, because most generally want Pratesâ exciting path of destruction to continue.
Thereâs always a chance Garry upsets Islam or the Russian kingpin could return to Lightweight for that long-awaited Ilia Topuria showdown. While Makhachev holds the belt, however, Pratesâ path to gold is complicated and hard to sell even after another massive victory.