Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Perth

What should be a busy spring and summer at the top of the welterweight division kicks off this weekend as former champ Jack Della Maddalena headlines at home against surging contender Carlos Prates.

This is Della’s first appearance since dropping the title to Islam Makhachev at Madison Square Garden last November in a lopsided contest. While the tendency is to fixate on the setback and losing the title, the reality is that Makhachev is an all-time talent who hasn’t lost in over a decade and can break the record for the most consecutive wins in UFC history next time out, and the 29-year-old Perth boy was a dominant force in his eight previous UFC fights, including his gutsy title win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.

RELATED: Della Maddalena Seeking Performance To Be Proud Of | Prates Wants A Title Shot Over Everything Else 

Prates touches down in Perth, having rebounded from his first UFC loss last April with consecutive highlight reel finishes. In August, he slept Geoff Neal with a spinning back elbow in Chicago, and then three months later, “The Nightmare” did the same to former champ Leon Edwards at MSG, earning Performance of the Night bonuses in each of those wins.

This is about as perfect a matchup as you’re going to find in the UFC at the moment; the precise opportunity and stylistic pairing each man needs, given how they come into the weekend, while also carrying a great deal of significance within the division. Della Maddalena gets the opportunity to instantly bounce back and cement his standing as one of the best fighters in the division, while Prates has a chance to topple another former champion, this time in a high-profile main event.

Additional Main Card Matchups

Beneil Dariush vs Quillan Salkilld

Mainstays in the flyweight Top 15 and former title challengers meet in Perth as Tim Elliott heads into hostile territory as he squares off with Steve Erceg.

READ: Erceg Aiming For Redemption 

After turning in a bonus-winning effort to close 2023, Elliott missed all of 2024 after suffering an undisclosed injury midway through the year. He finally returned to action last August and once again flashed his dynamic abilities, submitting recent title challenger Kai Asakura in the second round at UFC 319, grabbing a second straight bonus in the process.

Fighting out of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Gaziev has had mixed results since landing in the UFC via a first-round stoppage win on Season 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series, posting three wins, two finishes, and two losses in his first five fights. Saturday night, he aims to bounce back after getting stopped by Dominican standout Waldo Cortes Acosta last time out in Qatar. 

MORE: Brando Pericic Is A Man In A Hurry

Pericic has been a force through his first two UFC starts, needing less than two minutes to dispatch both Elisha Ellison and Louie Sutherland, establishing himself as a rising talent to track in the big boy ranks. “The Balkan Bear” has earned first-round finishes in each of his last four outings and thus far looks like a potential ascending force in the heavyweight division.

This is the kind of matchup that is going to answer the questions swirling around each man, as Gaziev has faltered against the best competition he’s faced, but looks sharp against lesser foes, while Pericic is taking a step up to facing a ranked opponent for the first time after making quick work of a pair of neophytes. The heavyweight landscape is shifting, and a dominant effort from either man here should propel them into an even bigger matchup next time out.

Tai Tuivasa vs Louie Sutherland

The main card opens in the heavyweight division as beloved Aussie veteran Tai Tuivasa returns to action for the second time this year, taking on Louie Sutherland.

Still just 33 years old, “Bam Bam” makes his second start of 2026 after dropping an exhaustive decision to Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325 in February. The longtime contender has dropped six straight, exclusively against ranked competition, but has the chance to right the ship and get things moving in the right direction again with this matchup in Perth.

Sutherland steps in for Sean Sharaf, making his third appearance inside the Octagon with the hopes of collecting his first UFC win. A tank of a man, the 32-year-old “Vanilla Gorilla” had early positive moments in his bouts with Valter Walker and Pericic but was unable to withstand the return attacks that followed, resulting in consecutive first-round losses.

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Can Tuivasa snap his extended losing streak and take down a shoeey on Saturday, or will Sutherland kick off the main card by getting his hand raised in the UFC for the first time?

Preliminary Card Pairings

Cam Rowston vs Robert Bryczek

Cam Rowston looks to continue his hot start inside the Octagon as he welcomes Robert Bryczek to Western Australia this weekend.

Jacob Malkoun makes his second appearance at home this year on Saturday when he steps in with grizzled veteran Gerald Meerschaert.

“Mamba” ended a nearly two-year hiatus in January with a unanimous decision win in Sydney and looks to make it three straight and four of his last five with a relatively quick turnaround here. One of the most experienced fighters on the roster, Meerschaert looks to add to his record submission numbers while breaking out of a slump with this business trip to Australia.

Colby Thicknesse vs Vince Morales

It’s an interesting pairing in the bantamweight division as Australian prospect Colby Thicknesse meets American veteran Vince Morales.

Following a strong showing on short notice at UFC 312, Thicknesse successfully navigated 15 hard minutes with Josias Musasa to earn his first UFC win at RAC Arena last September. A four-fight winning streak earned Vince Morales a call back to the Octagon, but thus far, the 35-year-old has not been able to replicate the success he had outside the promotion.

Ben Johnston vs Wes Schultz

Ben Johnston makes his first trek into the Octagon this weekend in Perth, facing off with Wes Schultz in a battle of middleweights in search of their first UFC win.

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A Muay Thai stylist with ties to the City Kickboxing team, Johnston has gone 5-1 with four straight stoppage wins heading into his promotional debut on Saturday. A DWCS alum, Schultz scored a gnarly submission win to earn his contract last fall, but landed on the wrong side of things in his February debut against fellow newcomer Damian Pinas.

Jonathan Micallef vs Themba Gorimbo

Australian welterweight Jonathan Micallef looks for his third straight UFC triumph as he steps in with veteran Themba Gorimbo.