Athletes
Homefield Advantage | UFC Perth
Highlighting The Athletes Of UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates That Call Australia Home.
The Octagon has landed Down Under, as Perth gets ready to host its fifth UFC event, and the 22nd UFC card held in Australia overall.
The fight card this weekend will feature a proud Aussie in the main event, as former undisputed welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena takes on Brazilian crowd-pleaser Carlos Prates in a pivotal clash for the welterweight division – but JDM won't be alone.
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Australia is well-represented with 12 athletes competing on Saturday’s card . It effectively makes the event an Australia versus The World spectacular, as the best of Australia's fighting talent takes center stage.
Ahead of fight night, let's mark your card as we run down each of the local heroes looking to deliver on home soil.
Jack Della Maddalena
Division: Welterweight
Fighting Out Of: Perth, Western Australia
Professional Record: 18-3
RELATED: Jack Della Maddalena Seeking A Performance To Be Proud Of
Streak: Lost 1 of his last 19
The Scoop:
Jack Della Maddalena returns to action for the first time since he lost the welterweight title to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322, and he’ll be keen to hit the ground running on home soil as he looks to bounce back. Prior to that title fight defeat, Della Maddalena had won 18 straight fights, and the Perth native will be determined to make a big statement in the main event when he takes on Brazilian contender Carlos Prates. It’s a fight that carries major significance at the sharp end of the welterweight division, where the championship picture has never looked more crowded. A big win for JDM should put him right back in the mix.
Main Event Preview | UFC Perth
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Main Event Preview | UFC Perth
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Quillan Salkilld
Division: Lightweight
Fighting Out Of: Perth, Western Australia
Professional Record: 11-1
FIGHT WEEK INTERVIEWS: Carlos Prates | Quillan Salkilld | Beneil Dariush
Streak: 11 straight victories
The Scoop:
One of the hottest rising stars in Australian MMA, Quillan Salkilld has exploded onto the world stage since earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. Now, after claiming four successive wins in the UFC, Salkilld is being elevated towards the division’s established contenders to see if he can swim with the big fish at 155 pounds. This weekend he’ll take on perennial contender Beneil Dariush, who will be determined to rebound after a quickfire knockout loss last time out. Dariush has legit knockout power and top-drawer submission skills, meaning the Octagon vet will offer an ideal next test for the Perth native, who could announce himself as a bona fide contender with victory on home soil this weekend.
Quillan Salkilld Secures Opening Round Submission | UFC 325
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Quillan Salkilld Secures Opening Round Submission | UFC 325
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Steve Erceg
Division: Flyweight
Fighting Out Of: Perth, Western Australia
Professional Record: 13-4
Streak: Snapped three-fight skid last time out
The Scoop:
Can former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg get himself back into championship contention in 2026? We’ll find out a lot more about his potential this weekend when he returns to action against the always-tricky former title challenger Tim Elliott. Erceg’s fast start to life in the UFC saw him claim three straight wins and earn a title shot against then-champ Alexandre Pantoja, but his defeat to “The Cannibal” at UFC 301 kicked off a three-fight skid that he managed to halt last August, when he outpointed Ode’ Osbourne. Now “Astroboy” will look to claim back-to-back wins for the first time since 2024 to re-establish his credentials and nudge him back towards the flyweight top 10.
Brando Pericic
Division: Heavyweight
Fighting Out Of: Auckland, New Zealand
Professional Record: 6-1
Streak: Four straight wins, all by knockout/TKO
The Scoop:
Brando Pericic has arrived in the UFC with a bang, and he plans on continuing his destructive introduction to the big stage as he looks to complete a hat-trick of knockout victories at UFC Perth this weekend. Pericic blasted his way into the UFC with a first-round win over Elisha Ellison in Perth last September, then followed up with another first-round finish as he stopped Louie Sutherland in London in March. Now Pericic returns to Perth looking to make it three in a row, as he prepares to take on Bahrain’s Shamil Gaziev. It’s not only a chance to continue his winning start to life in the UFC, it’s also an opportunity to break into the heavyweight rankings, with Gaziev ranked 14th as we head into the weekend. Gaziev will pose the toughest test of his career, but everything is in place for “The Balkan Bear” to make a big statement on home soil.
Brando Pericic Gets The Ground And Pound Finish | UFC London
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Brando Pericic Gets The Ground And Pound Finish | UFC London
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Tai Tuivasa
Division: Heavyweight
Fighting Out Of: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Professional Record: 14-9
MORE UFC PERTH: Fighters On The Rise | Fight By Fight Preview
Streak: Six straight losses
The Scoop:
One of Australia’s biggest fan-favorites returns to the Octagon with a score to settle, and a streak to break. Tai Tuivasa has built his reputation on exciting fights and big knockouts, and he’ll be desperate to add another to his record when he takes on England’s Louie Sutherland this weekend. That’s because “Bam Bam” has found himself on the wrong end of the result in each of his last six outings. We haven’t seen a Tuivasa win – and his trademark “Shoey” celebration – since 2022. Will he be toasting victory via someone’s footwear once again this weekend?
Cam Rowston
Division: Middleweight
Fighting Out Of: Auckland, New Zealand
Professional Record: 14-3
FULL FIGHTS: Della Maddalena vs Burns | Prates vs Jingliang
Streak: Six straight wins
The Scoop:
Equally dangerous on the feet or on the mat, Cam Rowston has hit the ground running since his contract-winning performance on Dana White’s Contender Series last August. Successive wins over seasoned veterans Andre Petroski and Cody Brundage have established the 31-year old in the UFC middleweight division, and now he is looking to make his way up the 185-pound ladder. His next test comes in the form of Polish knockout artist Robert Bryczek, who stopped the teak-tough Brad Tavares last time out. With two hard-hitting prospects keen to move up the division, the stage is set for an action-packed middleweight clash in Perth.
Cam Rowston Fight Week Interview | UFC Perth
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Cam Rowston Fight Week Interview | UFC Perth
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Junior Tafa
Division: Light heavyweight
Fighting Out Of: Brisbane, Australia
Professional Record: 6-5
Streak: Two straight losses
The Scoop:
A UFC event in Australia without a member of the Tafa family on the card just wouldn’t seem right, and Junior Tafa will fly the flag as he returns to action in search of his first win since moving down to light heavyweight. This weekend he’ll take on Brazil’s Kevin Christian in a fight where the two protagonists have something in common – both lost via rear-naked choke to Billy Elekana in their most recent appearances. Christian has four knockouts and five submission wins to his name, but when it comes to Tafa, everyone knows what’s coming. “The Juggernaut” wants to stand and bang, and if he connects clean, the Perth crowd will be on their feet in celebration.
Jacob Malkoun
Division: Middleweight
Fighting Out Of: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Professional Record: 9-3
Limited Tickets Remaining For UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland. Get Yours
Streak: Two straight wins
The Scoop:
Middleweight Jacob Malkoun will make the walk for his ninth UFC fight having already established himself as one of the toughest operators in the division. The 30-year-old is riding a two-fight win streak, courtesy of victories over Andre Petroski and Torrez Finney, and he’ll look to make it three in a row when he takes on 58-fight veteran Gerald Meerschaert. “GM3” is renowned for his submission ability on the mat, but Malkoun has never been submitted in his career, and the Aussie will look to keep it that way as he chases career win number 10 with victory in front of the Aussie fans.
Colby Thicknesse
Division: Bantamweight
Fighting Out Of: Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Professional Record: 8-1
Streak: One win
The Scoop:
Colby “Slickness” Thicknesse has an attention-grabbing nickname, and his fighting style backs up his moniker. The 26-year-old bantamweight claimed his maiden UFC victory with a unanimous decision over Josias Musasa last September. That fight took place at RAC Arena in Perth, and this weekend he’ll return to the scene of that success as he faces UFC vet Vince Morales in search of two wins in a row. A former champion on the Australian regional scene with the Hex Fight Series promotion, Thicknesse has lost just once – in his short-notice UFC debut against Alexandre Topuria. But that performance showed more than enough to suggest Thicknesse could be an exciting addition to the bantamweight mix. A win over Morales this weekend will only raise his stock further.
Ben Johnston
Division: Middleweight
Fighting Out Of: Queensland, Australia
Professional Record: 5-1
Streak: Four straight wins, all by finish
The Scoop:
Queensland’s Ben Johnston has had to wait for his chance since capturing the Eternal MMA middleweight title back in 2024, but now he’s finally ready to return to action, and he’ll do so as a UFC fighter. The 35-year-old brings an interesting mix of Muay Thai striking and slick submission skills to the big stage, and he’ll look to show off those talents on his Octagon debut when he takes on Dana White’s Contender Series alum Wes Schultz at RAC Arena. Johnston has a 100 percent finish rate, while Schultz has only seen the scorecards once in his career – it should be an exciting scrap at 185 pounds.
Jonathan Micallef
Division: Welterweight
Fighting Out Of: Werribee, Victoria, Australia
Professional Record: 9-1
Streak: Four straight wins
The Scoop:
Werribee welterweight Jonathan Micallef is off and running in the UFC after capturing victories over Kevin Jousset and Oban Elliott in his first two Octagon appearances, and he’ll bid to make it three wins in a row when he takes on Themba Gorimbo in Perth this weekend. Gorimbo offers a tough, well-rounded test for the Aussie, who has lost just once in his 10-fight pro career. Gorimbo will be doubly determined to claim victory after losing his last two bouts, but Micallef will have other ideas, and has his sights set on a crowd-pleasing win to take his career to 10-1.
Jonathan Micallef Sinks In Round 2 Submission | UFC 325
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Jonathan Micallef Sinks In Round 2 Submission | UFC 325
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Dom Mar Fan
Division: Lightweight
Fighting Out Of: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Professional Record: 9-2
Streak: Five straight wins
The Scoop:
He’s had a taste of life on a UFC fight card before, but this will be Dom Mar Fan’s first outing as a signed UFC athlete, and he’ll look to kick off the fight card in style when he opens the night in Perth against Kody Steele. Fan won his way into the UFC via the Road to UFC tournament. His only career losses have come against Quillan Salkilld, but since his last defeat back in 2024 he’s reeled off five straight victories to send him into his Octagon debut with real momentum. Now, with his first UFC contract signed and sealed, and his maiden matchup coming on home soil this weekend, all the pieces are in place for “Street Buddha” to introduce himself to the world in Perth.
UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates took place live from RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia on May 2, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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