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Perth | The New MMA Hot Bed In Australia
UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates Features A Trio Of Perth-Born Fighters Making Waves In Their Divisions
For the first 29 years of the UFC, the Octagon touched down in Perth just once when Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero headlined UFC 221 in 2018. About five years would pass before the organization returned to Western Australia for UFC 284: Makhachev vs Volkanovski, but the city is now a regular stop on the promotion’s rotation, so much so that after UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates, Perth will only trail Sydney as the country’s most frequent host city.
The city is churning out prospects in that time as well. The evidence is in the headliner as Perth’s own Jack Della Maddalena headlines the event, the first Western Australian to do so. The former champion isn’t alone in his hometown show, however. Former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg returns, hoping to cultivate some momentum when he faces Tim Elliott, and the red-hot Quillan Salkilld gets his toughest test to date as he takes on perennial contender Beneil Dariush in the co-main event.
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Once best-known as the world’s most isolated major city, Perth is becoming something of an MMA hot-bed, so before the action returns to RAC Arena for a rare Saturday night event Down Under, take a deeper dive into the men who make a hometown walk on May 2.
Main Event Preview | UFC Perth
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Main Event Preview | UFC Perth
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Jack Della Maddalena
Age: 29
UFC Record: 8-1 (4 knockouts, 1 submission)
Gym: Scrappy MMA
Best Moment:Unanimous Decision Win vs Belal Muhammad (May 10, 2025)
Outlook: When Jack Della Maddalena arrived via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, he quickly became the face of the new wave of Australian stars on the rise. Four first-round finishes in his first four fights, including a submission win over Randy Brown in Perth, shot him into the welterweight rankings, and he would earn his first title shot less than four years after joining the promotion. At UFC 315, Della Maddalena outworked incumbent champion Belal Muhammad, securing the title and becoming the third Australian champion in UFC history.
Steve Erceg
Age: 30
UFC Record: 4-3 (1 knockout)
Gym: Wilkes Martial Arts & Fitness Academy
Best Moment: TKO Win vs Matt Schnell (March 2, 2024)
Outlook: “Astroboy” adjusted to UFC competition quickly, making his debut at UFC 289 with a decision win over then-ranked David Dvorak. Two wins later (including a thudding knockout over Matt Schnell), Erceg found himself against then-champion Alexandre Pantoja as the headlining bout in Brazil. Erceg pushed Pantoja to the brink before the Brazilian took a decisive fifth round on the scorecards, but Erceg showed he absolutely belonged with the best at 125 pounds. Losses to former champion Brandon Moreno (also a close decision) and former title challenger Kai Kara-France halted his momentum, but Erceg returns to his hometown off the back of a solid decision win over Ode’ Osbourne last August.
Quillan Salkilld
Age: 26
UFC Record: 4-0 (2 knockouts, 1 submission)
Gym: Luistro Combat Academy
Best Moment: KO Win vs Nasrat Haqparast (October 25, 2025)
Outlook: Coming out of 2025, no fighter was the belle of the ball like Quillan Salkilld. After earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024, Salkilld put together a rookie season to remember. He opened his UFC account with a knockout win over Anshul Jubli in Sydney that took all of 19 seconds. Four months later, he scored a decision win over Yanal Ashmouz, but his shining moment came at UFC 321 against Nasrat Haqparast. Taking the fight on short notice, Salkilld got to work quickly before scoring a devastating head kick midway through the first round that rendered Haqparast unconscious. Heading into 2026, Salkilld was named the top prospect by various outlets, including UFC.com, and he lived up to the pressure with his first fight of 2026 when he submitted Jamie Mullarkey in the first round.
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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