UFC Perth ‘Della Maddalena vs. Prates’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

The Official Result

Kody Steele def. Dom Mar Fan R1 3:56 via Submission (Heel Hook)

Themba Gorimbo (171) vs. Jonathan Micallef (170)

Round 1

Micallef (9-1; 2-0 UFC) looks to keep his Octagon record spotless against Gorimbo (14-6; 4-3 UFC), who is tasked with snapping the first losing streak of his career in hostile territory. Lukas Bosacki draws the referee assignment. Micallef is southpaw, Gorimbo orthodox, and both men reach out with awkward rear-hand punches in the opening moments. Gorimbo closes the distance and shoves Micallef to the fence. They pummel for position briefly, then disengage and return to the center of the cage. Gorimbo clocks Micallef with a right hand in the pocket, but can’t follow it with anything of consequence. Micallef lands a good left hand of his own, then eats another hard right from Gorimbo. Micallef connects with a pair of punches upstairs and Gorimbo clinches. They fight for underhooks against the fence. Two minutes to go in the round and it’s Micallef on the outside, shoving Gorimbo into the cage. Gorimbo reverses the position. They exchange knees inside. Micallef hits a lovely foot sweep and dumps Gorimbo to the canvas. Micallef is in Gorimbo’s full guard, then postures up and drops a couple of hard punches. Gorimbo starts to pop up, but Micallef drives him back to the ground and threatens to take his back. Gorimbo stands, giving up his back briefly, but spins out of it and returns to his feet. They collide in the pocket and the round ends. 10-9 Micallef.

Round 2

Gorimbo comes forward swinging big, but the punches glance off of Micallef’s guard. He throws another salvo of punches and several of them connect. He closes the distance and grabs a body lock, dragging Micallef to his knees, but the Australian pops right back up. Gorimbo drives Micallef to the fence, keeping the body lock, but Micallef shucks him off and grabs a single-leg. He looks about to finish the takedown, but falls back off-balance with Gorimbo on top. Gorimbo is in Micallef’s full guard, and as he looks to pass, Micallef throws his legs up for a triangle choke. He can’t secure it, and Gorimbo is very close to passing his guard against the fence. Micallef kicks Gorimbo all the way off of him, but Gorimbo dives straight back into guard. Micallef controls Gorimbo’s wrists and tries another triangle setup. Gorimbo sniffs it out easily and passes Micallef’s guard, then takes his back in a flash. There’s a full minute left as Gorimbo cinches up a body triangle from back mount. Micallef fights off Gorimbo’s initial attempts at a choke, then squirms and, Anthony Pettis-like, spins all the way out of back mount into guard. Micallef gets in a couple of punches right before the horn. 10-9 Gorimbo.

Round 3

Gorimbo just touches with a right high kick, and Micallef answers with a right hand. Gorimbo is active with the kicks early, tagging Micallef’s lead leg. Micallef throws a right kick to the body and Gorimbo catches the kick, then counters with a right hand up top. Gorimbo times Micallef’s next kick and plows him to the canvas. They pop back up seconds later and Gorimbo drives Micallef to the fence. Micallef reverses the position. They separate and go back to kickboxing, and Gorimbo immediately goes back to work with low kicks. Micallef answers with a few kicks of his own, but seems to be trying to measure his man for a counterpunch. Micallef gets the better of a boxing exchange, and Gorimbo changes levels for a single-leg attempt. He holds onto the leg and shoves Micallef to the fence, but Micallef extricates the leg and nails Gorimbo with a pair of punches. Gorimbo suddenly looks very tired. Micallef lights him up with a three-piece. Gorimbo has slowed but is still very much in the fight, blasting Micallef’s lead right leg with another calf kick. Micallef throws a spinning backfist that lands cleanly. Under 30 seconds left and Micallef surges forward with spinning attacks and a series of big punches, trying for the last-second finish, but nothing of consequence lands. The horn sounds, and it should be his fight anyway, on our scorecard at least. 10-9 Micallef (29-28 Micallef).

The Official Result

Jonathan Micallef def. Themba Gorimbo via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Ben Johnston (185.5) vs. Wesley Schultz (186)

Round 1

Late bloomer Johnston (5-1) makes his Octagon debut against two-time Contender Series competitor Schultz (8-3; 0-1 UFC) in a middleweight clash. Referee Rich Mitchell will be tasked with keeping this one clean. Johnston is southpaw, Schultz orthodox, but Schultz shoots for a takedown before a single strike is thrown. He gets his man down, but Johnston rolls right through and takes top position. Schultz tries to keep the scramble going, but Johnston keeps the position and lands a couple of hard punches. Schultz scoots backward, elevating his hips for some possible offense from the bottom, but Johnston drives him all the way to the fence. Johnston drops some more solid ground strikes. Schultz sits up and grabs a front headlock, but Johnston extricates his head from danger, pushes Schultz back down and lands a couple more punches. Schultz gets back to his feet and drives Johnston into the fence. They exchange knees in the clinch, then Schultz does a half guard pull, half failed sacrifice throw and ends up on his back at the base of the fence. Under a minute left to go and Johnston is again in top position, in Schultz’s half guard, chipping away with short punches and elbow strikes. The round ends. 10-9 Johnston.

Round 2

They touch gloves to begin Round 2. Johnston clinches right away, possibly looking for a judo throw, but Schultz blasts him with a knee to the head. Schultz hustles his hurt foe to the ground with a guillotine choke, then adjusts his grip. Johnston is in real danger for a moment, but pops his head out and squirts to top position. Schultz explodes out of the position and lands on top in the ensuing scramble. Johnston gets up and Schultz takes his back. Schultz looks for a choke, but Johnston slips away and takes top position again. Johnston is in Schultz’s wide-open half guard against the fence and drops a few strikes. Schultz sits up and grabs another guillotine. It’s locked up, but Johnston calmly works through the hold, pulling his head out of danger a few seconds later, then punishes Schultz with several elbows and punches. A minute to go in the round and Johnston is on top, mashing Schultz into the corner of the cage with shoulder pressure. Johnston is close to passing his foe’s guard, grinding elbows into Schultz’s head. The horn sounds. 10-9 Johnston.

Round 3

Schultz surges forward with a series of big haymakers, backing Johnston up to the fence, and snatches a standing guillotine choke. He falls to guard and the choke is tight. Johnston spits out his mouthguard, trying to survive the hold, which Schultz adjusts into something closer to a neck crank. After a few more tense moments, Johnston pops his head out and they spring back to their feet. Mitchell stops the action to return Johnston’s gumshield, then motions them back to work. Schultz goes for the guillotine yet again, jumping to guard, and cinches up his arms. Third time—or is it the fourth?—is the charm, as the debuting Aussie taps out. Impressive commitment to the game plan from Wes Schultz, and it pays off with his first UFC win!

The Official Result

Wesley Schultz def. Ben Johnston R3 1:53 via Submission (Guillotine Choke)

Vince Morales (136) vs. Colby Thicknesse (135)

Round 1

After a tough loss for the local in the last bout, Thicknesse (8-1; 1-1 UFC) will try to reignite the Aussie faithful against Morales (16-10; 3-8 UFC) in this bantamweight prelim. Dan Movahedi is the referee. Both men are in orthodox stance, and Thicknesse reaches out and touches Morales’ guard with an immediate high kick. Morales is pressing the issue, marching forward and crowding the lanky Australian. Morales swings his way into the pocket and backs Thicknesse to the fence. Thicknesse changes levels and Morales counters with a front headlock. Thicknesse pops his head out and grabs a guillotine choke of his own, falling to his seat near the fence. Morales pulls his head out of danger and stands over Thicknesse. Thicknesse explodes up and moves to Morales’ back, sinking his hooks and looking for a choke. Morales shakes him off over the top, but Thicknesse follows him beautifully, snaring him in a triangle choke. Morales fights the hold, rolling over, and Thicknesse switches to a triangle armbar. It’s big trouble again, but Morales keeps working, doesn’t panic, and after a few tense moments, escapes. Thicknesse bails on the submission attempt but takes top position and starts dropping punches. Thicknesse takes Morales’ back with under a minute to go and is fishing for a choke. Morales fights off the attempts and sweeps to top position with 30 seconds to go. The round ends with the American in half guard. 10-9 Thicknesse.

Round 2

Morales is on the front foot once again to start Round 2, throwing punches and forcing Thicknesse to back off. Thicknesse circles, refusing to be corralled against the fence. Morales pops his man with a nice jab, then counters a low kick with a solid right hand. A minute in, Thicknesse grabs a snatch single-leg, but Morales hops away and frees his leg with ease. Morales seems to have the sharper hands here, as he is landing clean single strikes and getting away unscathed. Thicknesse throws a body kick, then lands a spinning back elbow when Morales catches his leg. Thicknesse cliches, takes an overhook and tries to throw Morales, but Morales is wise to it. They stumble to the fence together and Thicknesse takes Morales’ back standing. He can’t secure the position, however, and Morales moves away from the fence. Morales catches Thicknesse coming in with a couple of good punches. Morales counters a front kick with a right hand. Under 30 seconds to go, and they exchange glancing shots until the horn. 10-9 Morales.

Round 3

They touch gloves to open the final round and Morales comes forward swinging. Thicknesse stands his ground and fires off a kick to the midsection. Morales counters with punches. Morales takes the center of the cage and Thicknesse throws a spinning elbow that comes up badly short. Morales is dialed in with his boxing, landing two-handed combinations that aren’t carrying a ton of power, but are accurate. Thicknesse is not giving back much on the feet, missing with single overhand power shots. They clinch near the fence and Morales tosses Thicknesse to the canvas, then declines to follow him down, instead letting him get back up. Morales catches Thicknesse with a short right hand that wobbles him badly. He gives chase, swarming with punches, then grabs a front headlock and attacks with a guillotine choke. Thicknesse survives, scrambles away but gives up his back. Morales takes back mount and fights for a rear-naked choke. There’s under a minute left, but Thicknesse is calmly fighting the choke. Morales gives up on the choke and returns to his feet, dropping a few final punches before the horn. 10-9 Morales (29-28 Morales).

The Official Result

Colby Thicknesse def. Vince Morales via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Jacob Malkoun (186) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (190: Missed Weight)

Round 1

Malkoun (9-3; 5-3 UFC) enters the cage as a massive favorite against the reeling and overweight Meerschaert (37-21; 12-13 UFC), with Mike Beltran drwaing his first ref assignment of the evening. Malkoun is orthodox, Meerschaert southpaw, and it’s Malkoun connecting first with a solid right hand that backs the American off. Malkoun is the much faster man on the feet in the early going. Malkoun, bizarrely, changes levels for a takedown attempt against the fence and Meerschaert counters with his trademark guillotine. Malkoun is in real danger for a moment, but manages to extricate his neck. Meerschaert is in top position, in Malkoun’s half guard, looking perhaps to try for another guillotine. Half the round is down, and Meerschaert is still on top, in control. Malkoun manages to stick him back into full guard, but Meerschaert passes to half guard again near the base of the fence. Beltran is talking to them, presumably telling them to keep working, but it’s far from a static position, as they are moving and exchanging short shots. Meerschaert postures up and drops an elbow to the face. Meerschaert wraps up a guillotine from top position but can’t make a serious attempt out of it before the horn. 10-9 Meerschaert.

Round 2

They go back to work on the feet and once again, Malkoun’s edge in speed and accuracy is stark. Malkoun bounces into range against the taller man, pops him with a two or three-punch combo, then exits untouched, several times in a row. Meerschaert appears to be looking for the right moment to shoot for a takedown, but through 90 seconds he has not made a serious attempt. Malkoun backs him up to the fence and belts him with a right to the body. Meerschaert lands a glancing head kick, and Malkoun tags him with two punches. They collide in the pocket and Meeerschaert pulls guard. He controls Malkoun’s posture with a shoulder lock, but Malkoun pulls his right arm out of danger, sets up in Meerschaert’s half guard and throws a flurry of ground strikes. With under a minute to go, Malkoun throws a final series of punches and stands up out of his foe’s guard. Beltran motions Meerschaert to stand, and Malkoun quickly tags him with another series of punches. The round ends. 10-9 Malkoun.

Round 3

It’s anyone’s fight—on our scorecard, at least—as these two go back to work for Round 3. Malkoun stalks forward, sticking out his left jab, backing Meerschaert off. Malkoun is getting much the better of the orthodox vs. southpaw hand fight. A minute in, neither man has really committed to a power strike on the feet, but Malkoun has been the more active, more accurate man. Malkoun steps into the pocket and lands a clean three-piece combination that makes Meerschaert blink and back off. Malkoun hits him with a lead left. He is landing nearly at will, but not forcing the issue at all despite his clear superiority on the feet. Malkoun steps into the pocket and Meerschaert falls to guard in the ensuing collision. Malkoun follows him down, settles into his guard, but lets him back up a moment later. They return to the center of the cage and exchange strikes. Meerschaert is the aggressor, stalking forward and throwing single strikes. They collide and Meerschaert throws on a guillotine choke, shoving Malkoun to the canvas and trying for the last-second finish. It’s pretty obvious he won’t get it, but the round ends with the American on top and in control. The horn sounds on a strange, frankly lousy fight. 10-9 Malkoun (29-28 Malkoun).

The Official Result

Jacob Malkoun def. Gerald Meerschaert via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Kevin Christian (204) vs. Junior Tafa (205.5)

Round 1

Towering light heavies Christian (9-3; 0-1 UFC) and Tafa (6-5; 2-5 UFC) go to work at the direction of referee Matt Wynne. Tafa is tall and long, but Christian is ridiculously huge, and they exchange hard shots immediately. Christian hacks away at Tafa’s front leg with nasty kicks from both sides, and Tafa is reacting right away. Tafa does not like the kicks one bit, but he’s countering with huge punches up top, several of which land. Christian is hurt and backing away, but manages to recover. The Brazilian goes right back to work on Tafa’s lead leg, which is visibly chewed up. Tafa is favoring the bad leg, but he plants on it anyway and floors Christian with a pair of flush hooks. Christian stumbles away. Tafa gives chase, puts him down with a final right hand, then drops at least 10 jackhammer right elbows from top position before Wynne moves in to save the unconscious Brazilian. Definitive finish to a blissfully defense-free scrap by “The Juggernaut.”

The Official Result

Junior Tafa def. Kevin Christian R1 2:42 via KO (Punches and Elbows)

Robert Bryczek (186) vs. Cameron Rowston (185)

Round 1

“Battle Giraffe” Rowston (14-3; 2-0 UFC) seeks to continue his impressive UFC run at the expense of Poland’s Bryczek (18-6; 1-1 UFC), with referee Lukasz Bosacki in charge of rules enforcement. Both men are in orthodox stance to start things off, and it’s Bryczek stalking forward as Rowston gives ground and looks for counters. Bryczek is doing a lot of hand fighting, trying to get inside on the much taller, rangier Aussie, but Rowston is wise to it and catches him with the right cross twice in a row. Bryczek wades into the pocket and lands a flurry of hooks to the body. They appear to have had an effect, because Rowston changes levels for a takedown. He hauls Bryczek to his seat, but Bryczek will not concede the position, scooting and using underhooks to get back up. Rowston changes levels again, drives Bryczek to the fence and scoops him up for an easy-looking takedown. Rowston is in his opponent’s full guard at the base of the fence with 90 seconds to go, trying to posture up and drop punches while Bryczek controls the wrists. Bryczek switches to butterfly hooks and kicks Rowston off, but Rowston dives back into his guard before he can get up. Rowston smashes Bryczek with a couple of hard ground punches before the horn. 10-9 Rowston.

Round 2

Rowston strikes first with a calf kick from distance. Bryczek surges forward and Rowston tags him with a three-punch salvo. As Bryczek backs off, Rowston gives chase, changing levels for a double-leg attempt against the fence. Rowston can’t finish the takedown and they circle away from the cage. Rowston comes forward for another takedown attempt, which Bryczek intercepts with a front headlock. Rowston pops his head out and finishes the takedown. Rowston is in Bryczek’s full guard at the base of the cage, posturing up and landing a couple of strikes. Rowston applies shoulder pressure, sets up a possible arm-triangle choke and passes to side control. Bryczek is surviving for the moment, but making no moves to escape, let alone launch any offense of his own. Rowston gives up on the choke, stands up from side control and nails Bryczek with a couple of standing-to-ground punches. Rowston keeps bombarding his man with long punches from above. Bryczek gets Rowston back into guard, but this slows, rather than halts, the onslaught. Thirty seconds to go and the round has been all Rowston so far. Bryczek survives to hear the horn after a lopsided five minutes. 10-9 Rowston.

Round 3

The momentum is all with the home fighter as they come out for Round 3. They exchange punches in the center of the cage, with both men landing bur Rowston getting the better of it. Rowston lands a slapping left kick to the midsection. Rowston grabs the Thai clinch and drives a knee up the middle, then lets go, changes levels as Bryczek straightens, and plows him to the floor effortlessly. Rowston sets up in half guard, lands a couple of strikes and passes to side control. Rowston is riding high, weighing heavy on Bryczek’s chest and possibly looking for a topside choke, but slithers to his opponent’s back when Bryczek bridges. Rowston is on Bryczek’s back for a moment, but Bryczek manages to spin back to guard. Bryczek gets butterfly hooks, elevating Rowston, but Rowston’s reach is such that he’s pelting him in the face anyway. Rowston gets back to full guard, postures up and lands a couple of elbows as he passes to half guard. Rowston passes to side control, then takes back control when Bryczek turtles up. Bryczek gets back to guard, but Rowston keeps throwing punches. Rowston shrugs off a last-ditch leglock attempt and keeps dropping strikes until the final horn. Dominant performance by Cam Rowston. 10-8 Rowston (30-26 Rowston).

The Official Result

Cam Rowston def. Robert Bryczek via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Louie Sutherland (261) vs. Tai Tuivasa (265)

Round 1

The main card opener features a couple of big men in desperate need of a win, in the form of Tuivasa (14-9; 8-9 UFC), who is on a four-fight skid, and Sutherland (10-5; 0-2 UFC), who is winless in two tries in the Octagon. The third man in the cage will be Rich Mitchell. The heavyweights touch gloves, then set up in matchin orthodox stances. Sutherland touches with a calf kick, then another. Sutherland drops levels and rushes forward in search of a takedown. Tuivasa allows himself to be backed up to the fence, where he defends with a front headlock. Sutherland gives up on the takedown and they go back to work on the feet. Sutherland changes levels again and puts Tuivasa on his seat with a double-leg. Tuivasa refuses to concede the takedown, however, scooting on his butt all the way to the fence, grabbing another guillotine and returning to his feet. Tuivasa shucks him off and connects with a flurry of punches on the break. Sutherland is hurt, and Tuivasa nails him with an elbow to the head, followed by a knee. Sutherland grabs hold of Tuivasa and hustles him to the ground with what amounts to a shove, then takes top position. At the midpoint of Round 1, it’s Sutherland on top, dropping short punches and elbows. Tuivasa is working to defend his face and get back to his feet, but Sutherland is heavy on top and very methodical, pulling the Aussie’s base out from under him. Under a minute to go and the Perth crowd grows restive, but Sutherland is plenty active on top, throwing constant punches from half guard. The horn sounds. 10-9 Sutherland.

Round 2

Sutherland lands first with an inside low kick. Tuivasa responds with a leg kick of his own. Sutherland shoots for a takedown but Tuivasa uses an underhook to stand him back up as they collide with the fence. Sutherland re-shoots and gets the takedown. Tuivasa powers to his feet and Sutherland tosses him back down, then follows, landing in side control. Sutherland is heavy on top, dropping short punches to the body while keeping within striking distance of an arm-triangle choke. Sutherland grinds an elbow into Tuivasa’s head. The partisan crowd is chanting “stand ‘em up” despite Sutherland being in side control, but he slides into full mount. Sutherland continues to deliver a steady stream of short punches and elbows while moving back to side control. Tuivasa stands back up with 90 seconds left, but Sutherland drives him back to the ground a moment later. Tuivasa is turtled at the base of the fence, controlling Sutherland’s left hand with both of his own. Sutherland sinks a single hook, moves to Tuivasa’s back and appears to be hunting for a choke. Tuivasa bucks straight into a guilllotine attempt a few seconds before the horn. 10-9 Sutherland.

Round 3

Sutherland is almost certainly up two rounds to none as the heavies come out for Round 3. Both men actually look pretty fresh considering what a grueling fight it’s been, but Sutherland quickly gets another easy takedown. “The Vanilla Gorilla” sets up in side control, and Mitchell is warning him to stay busy. Sutherland is staying busy, as he did in Rounds 1 and 2, throwing a steady stream of strikes while looking to gradually move to an even more dominant position. Tuivasa bucks, scrambles and gets to all fours, where Sutherland moves to back control, but Tuivasa goes to his back and regains half guard. Sutherland is heavy on top, pelting Tuivasa with little right hands, flattening him out and looking to pass his guard. With a minute to go, Mitchell stands them up. Sutherland tries some kind of spin or roll, collides with a Tuivasa knee and falls to his back. Tuivasa pounces and taked top position, hammering Sutherland with a couple of big punches, then nails him with a flagrantly illegal knee to the head while they are grounded. A few seconds later the final horn sounds, while Mitchell instructs the judges to deduct a point from Tuivasa for the foul. 10-8 Sutherland (30-26 Sutherland).

The Official Result

Louie Sutherland def. Tai Tuivasa via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Shamil Gaziev (264) vs. Brando Pericic (265)

Round 1

The good news is that the second straight heavyweight bout on the UFC Perth main card almost has to be an improvement on the first, but we will see what Gaziev (14-2; 3-2 UFC) and Pericic (6-1; 2-0 UFC) have to say about it. Dan Movahedi is the third man in the cage, and Pericic wastes no time in flicking out a left high kick off of Gaziev’s guard. Gaziev changes levels, drives Pericic to the fence and dumps him to the canvas with a double-leg. Pericic remains calm, turns his back and stands up against the fence. Gaziev stays glued to Pericic’s back, driving a few knees to the thighs but mostly appearing to wait for a chance to drag his man back to the ground. Movahedi warns the two to stay busy, then after another warning, breaks them up and sends them back to the center of the cage. There, Pericic quickly nails Gaziev with a laser right hand, then another. Gaziev stands his ground and tries to swing back, but Pericic slips the punches easily and blasts his foe with another salvo of punches. Gaziev is hurt and reeling, with Pericic in pursuit. Pericic snaps Gaziev’s head back with a right cross, then an uppercut. They clinch against the fence and the offense slows. They come off the fence and Pericic lands another pair of long, straight punches. Gaziev catches Pericic with a wild haymaker and he’s hurt! Gaziev tries to follow up but Pericic recovers quickly and lands another combination. Gaziev hits him with another big left hand. The horn sounds on a wild round. 10-9 Pericic.

Round 2

The heavyweights meet in the center of the cage and pick right back up where they left off. Both men land in the ensuing clash, but Pericic gets the better of it, punctuating things with a nice low kick as well. Pericic’s jab is far too quick and accurate for Gaziev to deal with, but he wades right through it and tags the taller man with a pair of hooks. Pericic hurts Gaziev with a one-two and Gaziev goes stumbling back into the fence, but again recovers by the time Pericic can get there to capitalize. Two minutes in, Pericic rocks Gaziev with yet another flurry of punches, and once again Gaziev recovers enough to throw back. They clinch against the cage and take a bit of a breather, but referee Movahedi is telling them to stay busy almost immediately. He separates them moments later and Gaziev is clearly in trouble, mouth hanging open, hands low. He is still trying to throw power shots, but Pericic is the fresher man and his hands are simply too fast. A final right cross puts Gaziev on his back near the base of the fence and no follow-up is needed, as Movahedi sees that there’s no fight left in the Dagestani. Brutal work by Brando Pericic in a wild heavyweight brawl.

The Official Result

Brando Pericic def. Shamil Gaziev R2 3:44 via KO (Punches)

Marwan Rahiki (146) vs. Oliver Schmid (145.5)

Round 1

“Freaky” Rahiki (8-0; 1-0 UFC) had been scheduled to face native star Jack Jenkins at UFC Perth, but instead gets debuting City Kickboxing prospect Schmid (4-2). The referee assignment for this featherweight clash falls to Mike Beltran. Both strikers are in orthodox stance to start things off and it’s Schmid coming forward, throwing out one-twos and a low kick. Rahiki gives ground, lets the initial attacks fall short, and meets a Schmid advance with a spinning kick to the midsection. Schmid wears it and keeps coming forward, landing a long jab to the body and another low kick. Rahiki is calmly slipping and parrying most of Schmid’s offense through two minutes, but not throwing back much of his own. Rahiki flicks out a lightning-fast front kick to the gut. Rahiki answers a Schmid punch combination with a clean counter left. Schmid comes forward with another flurry of punches, and Rahiki again slips them and returns fire with a scooping left hand that drops Schmid in his tracks. Rahiki pounces and lays down hammerfists until Beltran arrives to save the debutant. Impressive work by Marwan Rahiki.

The Official Result

Marwan Rahiki def. Oliver Schmid R1 2:47 via TKO (Punches)

Tim Elliott (126) vs. Steve Erceg (125.5)

Round 1

Elliott (21-13; 10-11 UFC), one of the flyweight division’s top spoilers over the last several years, looks to take that role once again in this featured clash with Perth’s own, “Astro Boy” Erceg (13-4; 4-3 UFC). Lukasz Bosacki is the referee on duty. Both men are in orthodox stance and Elliott immediately starts with his oddball striking attack, switching stances, hanging his hands at his waist and stabbing out with Jon Jones-style oblique kicks at Erceg’s lead leg. The contrast could not be much greater, as Erceg comes forward in his classic, composed upright stance. Through the first 90 seconds, the resulting collisions are sporadic and awkward; Erceg slides forward but refuses to be drawn into a wild firefight, while Elliott lands sporadic strikes but can’t string anything together. A little past the halfway mark, Erceg lands a clean one-two that represents the best offense by either man thus far. Erceg appears to be growing more and more comfortable, but Elliott catches him with a sweeping right hand that hurts him. Again, Elliott can’t follow up, and Erceg recovers. Erceg places a couple of stiff jabs on Elliott’s chin, and takes a glancing hook in return. Elliott changes levels and gets a fast takedown against the fence, but Erceg gets right back up. They separate, meet in the center of the cage and Elliott gets another takedown right after the 10-second clapper. The horn sounds. 10-9 Elliott.

Round 2

Elliott is switching stances constantly as they meet in the middle of the cage for Round 2. Erceg again pursues in disciplined fashion, sliding forward and cutting off the cage while Elliott springs in and out of range, spins and throws off-balance single strikes. Elliott is talking, but a minute in, it’s Erceg landing the cleaner, sharper punches. Elliott’s kicks are effective, landing to Erceg’s lead left leg from both sides, mixing in some body work. Elliott changes levels and grounds the Australian with a double-leg, but Erceg pops back to his feet instantly. They disengage and meet against in the center of the Octagon, and it’s Erceg launching a takedown attempt, which Elliott defends. Erceg gets the better of a couple of pocket exchanges, then gets a clean takedown in the middle of the cage. Elliott escapes to his feet and scores a takedown of his own. Erceg escapes to his feet with a minute left and tags Elliott with two unblocked punches. Elliott is hurt but far from out of it, marching forward and swinging big. Erceg gives ground, plants and returns fire with more accurate punches to the head. It’s still competitive, but the momentum has definitely swung the other way as the horn sounds. 10-9 Erceg.

Round 3

Erceg walks down Elliott, who comes up just short with a superman punch. Erceg’s jab continues to define the fight, as he can’t seem to miss with it. The jab is scoring for Erceg, answering everything Elliott throws at him and preventing the American from building any kind of momentum. Elliott hacks away at Erceg’s left leg with two hard low kicks. Erceg suddenly launches a big high kick that glances off of Elliott’s guard, then goes right back to work with his bread-and-butter jab and right cross. Elliott is still in Erceg’s face at the midpoint of the round, coming forward with big swinging punches, and Erceg is calmly sniping him on the counter every single time. Elliott drops levels and runs Erceg all the way across the cage with a double-leg, depositing him on his butt at the base of the fence. Erceg gets right back up and Elliott disengages rather than keep wrestling. When they meet again it’s more of the same: Erceg slipping big telegraphed attacks from Elliott and returning fire with ultra-clean punches. The horn sounds on what was, by the end, a quietly dominant performance for Steve Erceg. 10-9 Erceg (29-28 Erceg).

The Official Result

Steve Erceg def. Tim Elliott via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Beneil Dariush (156) vs. Quillan Salkilld (156)

Round 1

In the co-main event, perennial contender Dariush (23-7-1; 17-7-1 UFC) will look to slow the rise of the red-hot Aussie Salkilld (11-1; 4-0 UFC), who has racked up quite the highlight reel since graduating from the Contender Series two years ago. Rich Mitchell draws his final referee assignment of the evening. Salkilld is orthodox, Dariush southpaw, and they exchange awkward pawing jabs with their lead hands. Out of nowhere, Dariush blasts Salkilld with a left hand, buckling his knees! Dariush is all over him but Salkilld recovers quickly, nailing Dariush with a left hand on his way in. Dariush shoves Salkilld into the fence, mugs him with a couple of punches and tries to secure a takedown. Salkilld goes to a knee but doesn’t give up the takedown, and he returns to his feet a moment later. Salkilld reverses the position and drives Dariush into the fence, only to be reversed again. Dariush works for a single-leg against the fence, but Salkilld patiently defends. They separate and Salkilld briefly changes levels, then comes back up and blasts him with a right hand. Dariush is hurt badly, trying to get his hands on the youngster and recover, but Salkilld crushes him with another right hand that drops him. Salkilld follows up with a stream of big lefts until Mitchell interposes himself, awarding the TKO, and the biggest win of his career, to Quillan Salkilld.

The Official Result

Quillan Salkilld def. Beneil Dariush R1 3:29 via TKO (Punches)

Jack Della Maddalena (170) vs. Carlos Prates (170)

Round 1

Welterweights with an eye on a title shot meet in the headliner, as Della Maddalena (18-3; 8-1 UFC) and Prates (23-7; 6-1 UFC) prepare to give us five rounds or less of fisticuffs. Enforcement of the rules—and protection of the losing fighter, if necessary—falls to veteran referee Mike Beltran, who has to break up a scuffle before the fighters are even introduced. Both men come out in orthodox stance and it’s Prates who lands first with a low kick as he slides around the outside, trying to dictate the distance to the shorter boxer. Della Maddalena is patient, stalking and cutting off the cage, and when he corrals the Brazilian near the fence, he steps in with a pair of heavy body shots. Two minutes in, neither man has really put his stamp on the round yet, but Prates is doing a good job of keeping Della Maddalena on the end of his noticeably longer reach. Prates continues to bounce around just outside of range, hands at his waist, before popping into the pocket with single strikes or pairs of punches. Della Maddalena scores with a three-piece, but eats a couple of hard shots on the counter. Prates scores with a hard body kick, then meets Della Maddalena’s next entry with a nasty knee up the middle. Thus far, Della Maddalena has worn the punches and kicks well, but he’s taken a lot of damage this round. Della Maddalena shoots for a takedown with 30 seconds left in the round and gets it easily, landing in full guard near the fence. He can’t get off any offense of note before the horn. 10-9 Prates.

Round 2

Della Maddalena comes forward to open the second frame, swinging two-handed combinations at the body. Prates slips out the side before Della Maddalena can trap him against the fence, and meets his next entry with a hard kick up the middle. Della Maddalena shoots for a takedown and gets it, moving to Prates’ back as the Brazilian stands. Della Maddalena is fishing for a choke as the Perth crowd comes alive, but he doesn’t have good hooks in and he slides right over the top. They go back to work on the feet and it’s Prates who scores with some long, straight jabs and crosses. Della Maddalena wades into the pocket and lands a hard uppercut and hook, then shoves Prates to the fence. He lands a few strikes in the clinch, then disengages. Della Maddalena hurts Prates with a punch, then gets caught with a clean counter as he tries to follow up. Della Maddalena is hurt! Prates tees off with a kick, then a pair of punches, as Della Maddalena staggers back into the fence. Prates is looking to finish, but Della Maddalena comes off the fence with a solid right hand. Under 30 seconds to go in the round and Della Maddalena appears to have recovered his wits, but Prates puts him down with a brutal leg kick right before the horn. 10-9 Prates.

Round 3

Della Maddalena, after a stern talking-to by his corner, is the aggressor to open Round 3. He comes forward with a feint, then a pair of punches, but Prates avoids any real damage. Della Maddalena essays a double-leg takedown, but Prates sprawls all over it and Della Maddalena bails quickly. Prates lights Della Maddalena up with an intercepting knee and several flush punches, punctuated by a vicious kick to the lead leg. Prates drops Della Maddalena with a high kick that blasts through the Aussie’s raised guard. Rather than swarm on the ground, he lets Della Maddalena back up, then goes right back to work sniping with big single shots. Della Maddalena wears the head and body shots, but goes right back down after the next leg kick. This time, Prates smells blood in the water, and he pours on elbows until Beltran is left no option but to rescue the hometown fighter. Extremely impressive work from “The Nightmare.”

The Official Result

Carlos Prates def. Jack Della Maddalena R3 3:17 via TKO (Leg Kicks and Elbows)