UFC Perth: Della Maddalena vs Prates – Full Card Analysis

UFC Perth: Della Maddalena vs Prates – 5.2.2026 – Fight Predictions and Analysis

Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC Fight Night Perth: Della Maddalena vs Prates. Fights this weekend start early live from down under at RAC Arena in Australia. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick as our records will not reflect confidence in each selection. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few. 

Current Record

• Anthony: 112-51-3 (Last Year 331-183-3, 64%)
• Nick: 107-56-3 (Last Year 326-188-3, 63%)

*Fight odds were last updated from bet365 on 5-1-2026 at 4am EST

Preliminary Card- Starts 4:00am EST

Kody Steele -200 vs Dom Mar Fan +160

• Anthony: Fights begin here early with this matchup between Dom Mar Fan and Kody Steele at lightweight. Steele does appear to be the rightful favorite here from the handicapping perspective. He is a talented wrestler with grappling that can smother opponents on the mat. However, Steele is not a boring fighter that will maintain position over his opponents. He earned a bonus for Fight of the Night in his promotional debut. Steele is going to brawl if he starts to fall behind on the feet with his striking. He needs to develop a more intelligent gameplan for each fight, utilizing his wrestling as needed or timing his takedowns well enough to steal rounds. I know that in this fight Steele will be successful in taking down Dom Mar Fan, but I am worried that throughout these prolonged exchanges Steele will end up getting reversed while attempting to advance or land ground and pound. Dom Mar Fan is a patient fighter that will wait for his opportunity before sweeping opponents and holding them down. I do not feel confident taking Steele to win via decision because of how close these rounds may appear to the judges. Street Buddha does well finding a way to win decisions and here he is fighting near his home of Queensland. Each fight today includes an Australian. This is a fight to watch if you are awake but it is not a great betting opportunity. Kody Steele by Decision
• Nick: Kody Steele enters this fight off his first professional loss, which came via decision in his UFC debut against Rongzhu. In spite of that loss, Steele is a highly-regarded prospect who fights out of a solid camp via Syndicate MMA. Steele is primarily a grappler, but he carries sneaky power on the feet. He does a good job baiting opponents into lengthy combinations, and he generally does a good job attacking the body as he forces his opponents to fight at a grueling pace. As talented as he is offensively, he can be hittable in lengthy exchanges. He’s durable, but his cardio seems questionable at best as he fights at a very high pace. Dom Mar Fan is coming off a decision win over Sang Uk Kim in which he secured a UFC contract as the winner of the most recent Road to UFC Tournament at Lightweight. Fan is primarily a grappler, with three of his nine professional wins coming via submission. His striking continues to improve, but it’s rare he’s not trying to take his opponents to the mat. He has solid cardio and durability, and he has proven he can do a great job outworking his opponents in his fights that make it to the scorecards. This fight should be competitive, but I do prefer the Steele side. I see him as the better wrestler here, which could make it difficult for Fan to pull away. The striking should be relatively even, but I see Steele landing bigger shots. Kody Steele by Decision

Jonathan Micallef -250 vs Themba Gorimbo +200

• Anthony: Next is a matchcup at welterweight between Themba Gorimbo and Jonathan Micallef. Gorimbo is a large betting underdog here as he has lost in both previous appearances. Gorimbo’s victories coming in the promotion have been rather underwhelming decision wins. He relies a lot on his wrestling but in this matchup against Micallef I do not think Gorimbo can just lay and pray. Micallef is the more active striker that will engage with Gorimbo here at kickboxing range. I am not sure which athlete will shoot first here but Gorimbo is more reliant on his wrestling while Micallef can trust his hands. Micallef and Gorimbo have both seen fights devolve into grueling, wrestling heavy affairs with a large number of scrambles. I favor Micallef in that style of fight where both athletes are competing for positions on the mat. Gorimbo does not do a good job protecting his neck throughout these kinds of exchanges. I also think Gorimbo is at a disadvantage when comparing his cardio to that of Micallef. It does not help matters that Micallef is fighting here locally while Gorimbo has had to travel across the globe. Gorimbo can still pull off the upset at this age but I think there are very few winnable fights for him moving forward in this division. Micallef will emerge the winner by either submission or by winning a boring decision. Jonathan Micallef by Decision
• Nick: Jonathan Micallef is 9-1 professionally, with two wins coming via KO and four coming via submission. He’s still developing as a prospect at just 27-years old, but he is a dangerous offensive grappler and he seems to be mostly durable. Micallef is coming off an impressive win via submission over Oban Elliott, which came in a fight in which he weathered an early storm and scored an opportunistic finish. Themba Gorimbo is a powerful striker, capable of throwing a wide range of creative attacks offensively. That being said his defense and durability have shown to be weaknesses rather than strengths so far in his professional career. He likes to wrestle, but his takedown entries are not technically sound which makes it easy for most of his opponents to stay standing. He has been showing considerable improvements over his last few fights, but there is no denying he is still raw in his abilities. The UFC marketing machine has gotten behind him, and he’s been matched favorably since joining the promotion. While raw in his abilities, he is gifted athletically. That being said he has dropped back to back fights, and he’s no longer being matched favorably. The line feels wide here as Micallef is still somewhat unproven, but he is the rightful favorite. I expect Gorimbo to pursue a grappling heavy gameplan here, which should play into Micallef’s skills as an offensive grappler. Jonathan Micallef by Round Two Submission

Ben Johnston -150 vs Wes Schultz +125

• Anthony: This is a matchup at middleweight between Ben Johnston and Wes Schultz. Johnston finds himself with a spot on this card thanks to Eugene Bareman and his great team. Schultz is mediocre by UFC standards and so this is a winnable fight for Johnston here as he makes his debut. Schultz is going to walk forward and attempt to win this fight by wrestling. On the feet Johnston is a dangerous opponent and while it may take some time for him to establish his range, Schultz is not an athlete that will be able to push him very early. The wrestling attacks from Schultz are often a bit too high and ineffective. Johnston could likely stuff takedown attempts here and punish Schultz in return. Since Johnston last competed, Schultz has fought five times. The inactivity from Johnston is largely due to his role at City Kickboxing as a coach. Johnston provides quality training sessions for numerous different weights at the gym. Most of his career has been spent in the training room, honing his grappling skills and teaching others his great muay thai. This is a tough fight to handicap between two low-level fighters who can yield some mixed results. Johnston is rightfully the favorite although these odds have closed significantly. Schultz may be able to fight his way to a decision victory but I do not rate his skillset highly at all. Johnston is dangerous and more capable of finding a finish here once he knocks off the rust. Ben Johnston by Round Two KO
• Nick: Ben Johnson will be making his UFC debut here, with a 5-1 professional record at 35 years old. Four of his wins have come via submission, but he’s primarily a striker with a traditional Muay Thai background. When at his best, Johnson can throw a lot of volume and he carries power in all of his limbs. That being said, he’s a tough fighter to back with any sort of confidence as he has been out of action since 2024, considered himself to be retired, and we haven’t seen him tested extensively against a quality level of opponent. Schultz is 8-3 professionally, and 29 years old. Schultz is primarily a grappler who can dominate offensively if he can drag his opponents to the mat. He can be effective at striking range, but he’s raw in his approach and doesn’t really have the process or chin in place to survive lengthy exchanges at this level. This is an extremely binary match-up in which Schultz will find success on the mat, but struggle on the feet. Johnston is the much better striker here, but Schultz’s offensive grappling is going to be difficult for him to withstand if he’s grounded. This is a low level and volatile fight, so I’ll take a shot on Shultz as an underdog. It is difficult to back Johnston as a favorite knowing he was retired and he’s been out of action for two years. Wes Shultz by Round One Submission

Colby Thicknesse -130 vs Vince Morales +110

• Anthony: This is a fight at bantamweight between Vince Morales and Colby Thicknesse. These odds have come to near pick’em despite Thicknesse opening as a moderate betting favorite. Thicknesse is one of the Australian fighters competing in these bouts today. He’s a good athlete emerging from the HEX series and earning a few quality wins on his way up. Thicknesse is nine years younger than Morales and a similar frame at this weight. While Morales is a veteran that always seems to provide tough fights, he does not have the volume or quality grappling skills to really win any bouts decisively. Morales will often be in very close rounds with opponents competing on the feet. He averages 3.57 significant strikes per minute which is not a very high par to beat. Morales also does not hit hard. It will be interesting to see how these two do stack up grappling and to what extent we see these athletes scrambling today on the mat. Morales can threaten submissions by attacking Thicknesse’ neck but I do not think he will be able to find a finish. Judges here will likely favor the more active fighter who represents New South Wales. I will not be one of many bettors taking Morales here this weekend. He has lost five straight fights all by decision. Colby Thicknesse by Decision
• Nick: Colby Thicknesse is 26-years old and 8-1 professionally. Thicknesse is relatively well-rounded, but he prefers to grapple. He has solid cardio and fights at a respectable pace, but on the feet he is hittable and he sometimes has trouble holding opponents down once he grounds them. He is 1-2 since breaking into the UFC, but he is coming off a win which came via decision over a relatively low level opponent in Josias Musasa. Vince Morales is relatively well rounded with seven wins coming via KO and six coming via submission. He can be hittable in exchanges and his takedown defense is mostly mediocre, but he’s dangerous everywhere offensively and his durability allows him to find success in the later rounds in most of his fights. Morales enters this match-up on a three fight losing streak, but he was competitive in each, fighting to decisions in all three against a quality level of competition. Thicknesse is tough and has the momentum here, but Morales is the more skilled fighter everywhere. This should be competitive generally speaking, but all of the value is on the underdog. I expect he has multiple ways to win, but I see Morales securing an opportunistic finish if Thicknesse makes any sort of mistake on the mat. Vince Morales by Round Two Submission

Jacob Malkoun -1100 vs Gerald Meerschaert +700

• Anthony: Next is a fight at middleweight between Gerald Meerschaert and Jacob Malkoun. Meerschaert was the only fighter who missed weight coming in several pounds over the limit. We saw Malkoun earn a win this year already at UFC 325 in Sydney. He has been building momentum in this division and now wants to punch his way back into the rankings. The development of Malkoun as a striker has been fun to watch as he adds attacks to an already lethal jab. He is at a clear advantage here on the feet against GM3. Meerschaert is now fighting in enemy territory after losing his last four in a row. He was finished by Kyle Daukaus less than one minute into his last appearance. At 38 years old, Meerschaert does not pose the same threat to opponents that he once did. Meerschaert needs to be respected for his 29 career wins by submission but he does not have clear methods to take opponents to the mat at this stage of his career. Meerschaert here is facing an elite jiu jitsu blackbelt that can match his potent submission attack. Malkoun won in the ADCC Trials and also was a Pan Pacific gold medalist. His wrestling and grappling are at their peak now and he might end up submitting Gerald. This matchup is a real no contest on the feet with Malkoun hitting much harder and with much faster hands. I am expecting this to be an easy round one victory for Mamba after scoring a knockdown. Jacob Malkoun by Round One Submission
• Nick: Given Malkoun was the 2019 ADCC Asia trials winner and a 2019 Pan Pacific gold medalist in Jiu-Jitsu, his grappling success at this level shouldn’t be surprising. He’s coming off a dominant win over Torrez Finney, and as far as interesting prospects go he’s one of the more intriguing there are at middleweight. While he still prefers to grappler, his striking has been rapidly improving over the course of his last few fights. He has a decent understanding of footwork, he works well behind his jab, and he’s doing a better job stringing together lengthier combinations. Gerald Meerschaert is well-rounded, but most of his professional wins have come via submission. He’s a highly skilled BJJ black belt with a seemingly endless arsenal of attacks on the ground. As good as Meerschaert is on the mat, he sometimes has trouble getting the fight there. His takedown entries leave a lot to be desired and his wrestling ability is questionable at best. The line feels wide here as Meerschaert is almost always live as an underdog. Still, there is no denying how far past his prime he is at 38 years old as he enters this fight. The line is too wide here, but Malkoun is still the side. He’s the much younger, faster, and more athletic fighter. He has enough grappling ability to mostly keep this fight standing where his striking advantage should be dramatic. Jacob Malkoun by Round One KO

Junior Tafa -220 vs Kevin Christian +180

• Anthony: Here is a matchup at light heavyweight between Junior Tafa and Kevin Christian. These fighters both lost in their most recent appearance facing Billy Elekena. The fight today will likely take place largely on the feet where Tafa figures to have the edge with his great power. While Junior Tafa is extremely one-dimensional he does need to be respected for having the power of a true heavyweight. Christian will look to engage against Tafa from distance rather than eating boxing combinations at close range. Christian is four-inches taller than Tafa and measures with an eight-inch reach advantage. The Brazilian is not known for having great striking but it should be serviceable for this particular matchup. Tafa is merely 2-5 overall in the UFC. His only victories have come in wins against Sean Sharaf and Parker Porter. Tafa is extremely limited in his skillset. He has the power to win this fight, but Christian should be scoring more consistently on offense with every minute that passes. Tafa cannot fight for a hard fifteen minutes and Christian has a great chance to win by submission if he drags Tafa down to the mat. He is a live underdog that I will target betting here at such favorable odds. This fight will be a car crash. Kevin Christian by Round Two Submission
• Nick: Junior Tafa had a lot of hype coming into the promotion, but he has been mostly a disappointment so far. He has knockout power, but his cardio is suspect and he hasn’t really shown technical boxing ability on the level of other up-and-comers. Additionally, his grappling ability is nowhere near UFC level. He has lost four of his last five fights and he could be fighting to hold his roster spot here. Kevin Christian is 9-3 professionally, with three wins coming via KO and five coming via submission. Christian can be dangerous on the feet, but his footwork is far from refined and he is hittable in exchanges. He has a dangerous BJJ base, but his long frame makes it difficult for him to secure traditional takedowns. This is a low level match-up and thus a low confidence play, but I do prefer the Tafa side. He’ll be in trouble if Christian can ground him, but I expect he can find a finish before that happens. Junior Tafa by Round One KO

Cam Rowston -185 vs Robert Bryczek +150

• Anthony: The featured prelim is a middleweight fight between Robert Bryczek and Cam Rowston. This bout will highlight Rowston as a prospect from Sydney that can make some noise at this weight. Rowston has been developing at City Kickboxing and so far at this level he has really looked good. Rowston is capable of finishing fights but also controlling his opponents very early. Rowston does well hitting opponents as they circle and forcing them into his power side with well planned attacks. I think his kickboxing is much better than Bryczek who will also struggle to match Rowston in terms of his speed. Bryczek can find a way to win in his fights but that normally comes by clinching often and landing a lot of strikes in close. Rowston should not allow Bryczek to work much at a range he is comfortable with. From the betting perspective, Rowston has done nothing so far to dissuade me as a backer. I consider this an impressive six-fight winning streak and Bryczek is still not providing Rowston with a significant step up in competition. Bryczek will be tough for Rowston to finish but I am expecting the Australian to perform very well here. On the microphone Rowston claimed he cannot be beaten fighting at home. He will separate himself from Bryczek striking when given the chance at range. Rowston’s size at middleweight and comfort in all areas make him a difficult opponent to look good against. Cam Rowston by Round Two KO
• Nick: Cam Rowston is 14-3 professionally, with six wins coming via KO and seven coming via submission. Rowston is well-rounded, but prior to his UFC debut he had been taking on a relatively low level of competition, fighting primarily for Eternal MMA in Australia. He’s a dangerous striker with opportunistic BJJ, but he lacks the athleticism we generally see in the middleweight division. He does seem to be making dramatic improvements from fight to fight, and he’s coming off two impressive KO wins under the UFC banner. Robert Bryczek is 18-5 professionally, with twelve of his eighteen professional wins coming via KO. Bryczek has fought a quality level of regional opponents, primarily fighting for Oktagon MMA in the Czech Republic. Bryczek is a physical specimen with explosive power on the feet. He finds most of his success just overwhelming his opponents with strength and power. He can be hittable in exchanges, but he has a solid chin. His durability generally allows him to score a KO before he’s KO’d himself. He is 1-1 in the UFC, coming off an impressive win over Brad Taveres in which he looked much better than he did in his debut. This one could go either way, but I see value on the underdog here. Bryczek is extremely durable and he should be able to match Rowston on power here. A low confidence play as he needs to keep this fight standing, but I’m siding with Bryczek. Robert Bryczek by Round Three KO

Main Card- Starts 7:00am EST

Tai Tuivasa -220 vs Louie Sutherland +180

• Anthony: The main card begins at heavyweight with Tai Tuivasa facing Louie Sutherland. This is a good last ditch effort by the promotion hunting to get Tuivasa a win. Bam Bam has lost six straight fights and I do not think he should be favored against anyone. His last bout against Tallison Teixeira was solid but Tuivasa does not seem to put forth great effort in camp. He was originally scheduled to face Sean Sharaf here but now he gets to fight Sutherland instead. These are probably the only heavyweights that Tuivasa stand a chance of ever beating. Sutherland is 0-2 in the promotion and he poses minimal threat to finish fights. This is not a well-built heavyweight and Sutherland will struggle just as much as Tuivasa as this fight gets extended. Sutherland will hunt for takedowns here at some point and against Tuivasa I like his odds of converting them. Keeping forward pressure and limiting Tuivasa’s offense will be keys to controlling this fight early. Tuivasa could also fight too recklessly here searching desperately for a victory. It is going to be a very sloppy matchup between heavyweights and I do not think anybody stands to gain much by betting on this fight. Round props for the bout are closer to even odds and provide more value than taking either side of this one. Louie Sutherland by Round Two KO
• Nick: Tai Tuivasa’s clearest path to victory is always via the knockout punch. He’s coming off six straight losses, but he’s still a fan favorite due to his fun personality and kill-or-be-killed style in the cage. Tuivasa nearly retired and fell out of shape prior to his most recent fight against Taillison Teixeira, but he’s still a powerful striker with decent cardio and durability for a heavyweight. Louie Sutherland enters this match-up with a 10-5 professional record at 32 years-old. Primarily a striker, eight of Sutherland’s ten professional wins have come via KO. Sutherland fights out of Scotland, having spent most of his career fighting for Levels Fight League. While his level of competition there leaves a lot to be desired, he has also fought for notable promotions via PFL and Bellator. He is 0-2 in the UFC, but he does seem to have decent speed for heavyweight. This fight will likely be a violent one for however long it lasts. I’ll take one last shot on Tuivasa here in front of his home crowd. Sutherland is taking this fight on short notice and does not appear to be in great shape for this one. Tai Tuivasa by Round One KO

Brando Pericic -130 vs Shamil Gaziev +110

• Anthony: Next is another heavyweight matchup between Shamil Gaziev and Brando Pericic. This will probably yield a bit more competitive action than the bout that proceeds it. I am interested to see where this matchup takes place and how much Gaziev relies on his size and grappling abilities here. Pericic trains at City Kickboxing and seems like the better striker at heavyweight. He is a bit smaller than Gaziev but Pericic will be lighter on his feet and more quickly landing combinations attacks. Gaziev does well marching his way through opponents and clinching to limit their offensive approach. Pericic will land on Gaziev in order to separate and keep this fight largely at a range where he is more comfortable. These odds seem to be where they should be given Gaziev’s durability and overall toughness. He is currently ranked in this division and deserves some respect. Pericic could certainly fade and run into problems in this fight if Gaziev is not going down easily. I believe that ultimately one will be winning here via knockout well before the final horn. Brando Pericic by Round Two KO
• Nick: Brando Pericic is 6-1 professionally and 31-years old, with all six of his wins coming via first round finish. Pericic fights out of City Kickboxing, and he certainly finds most of his success at striking range. Pericic is an aggressive pressure style fighter who puts power behind all of his strikes. As dangerous as he is offensively, Pericic’s style does often leave him exposed in lengthy exchanges and while his grappling continues to improve, defensively he still leaves a lot to be desired. He does seem to be improving and he’s now 2-0 in the UFC, most recently securing a KO win over Louie Sutherland. As impressive as he’s been, there is no denying this match-up with Gaziev represents a considerable level up for him in terms of level of competition. Shamil Gaziev is 14-2 professionally, with twelve of those wins having come via finish. He’s relatively well-rounded with one shot KO power, a solid wrestling base and decent BJJ. That being said he sometimes leaves himself there to be countered on the feet, he’s far from athletic, and his cardio seems to be a major weakness if his fights are extended. He’s a prospect on the rise in a shallow heavyweight division, but the holes in his game are certainly exploitable against top-level competition. This is certainly a fight between two finishers that I could see going either way, but I do expect the speed of Pericic to be the difference here. I expect he can lean both early and often enough to ultimately find a finish. If he doesn’t, he’s in big trouble. Brando Pericic by Round One KO

Marwan Rahiki -700 vs Ollie Schmid +500

• Anthony: This is a fight at featherweight between Marwan Rahiki and Ollie Schmid. It is a short notice booking for Rahiki who was originally scheduled to face Jack Jenkins at this event. The promotion really struggled to get anyone booked to face Rahiki until Schmid stepped in. This seems like it will not be a competitive matchup given the immense talent of Rahiki. This is an extremely fun prospect training here locally in Sydney. Rahiki won the Fight of the Night bonus in his promotional debut beating Harry Hardwick by corner stoppage. He has won by finish in all of his professional fights. The 23 year old has elite kickboxing and great reaction time that makes him so dangerous. The one knock on Rahiki is his poor defense and lackluster awareness in his fights. Rahiki will see red and brawl with opponents rather than using his technical skills with proper advantage. He will continue to get away with this bad habit until he faces more experienced opponents in the UFC. Schmid does not belong competing at this level and Rahiki will squash him in this matchup today. I am expecting to see Rahiki pour on the volume striking here until a knockout does end it. Marwan Rahiki by Round One KO
• Nick: Marwan Rahiki is 8-0 professionally, with all of those wins coming via finish and seven of them coming via KO. Rahiki is very much a kill-or-be-killed style fighter. He’s extremely dangerous offensively, but his pace and willingness to exchange leave him susceptible to counter shots as he begins to take on a higher level of competition. He secured a nice KO win over Harry Hardwick in his UFC debut, but he did take a lot of damage in that fight against a relatively low level striker. Ollie Schmid is taking this fight on a weeks’ notice  a an injury replacement for Jack Jenkins. He is 4-2 professionally and just 25 years old. He fights out of a quality gym via City Kickboxing, but he lacks professional experience and it’s very clear he’s still raw in his abilities. He’s a decent offensive striker but he can be over-eager at times. His defensive grappling seems to be more of a weakness than a strength, Rahkiki’s lack of defense means this line is a bit wide, but I still expect him to dominate here. This is too much too soon for Schmid, especially on such short notice. Marwan Rahiki by Round One KO

Steve Erceg -200 vs Tim Elliott +160

• Anthony: This is a fight at flyweight between Steve Erceg and Tim Elliott. Both athletes have really established a clear identity for themselves in this division. Elliott is a grizzled veteran at 39 years old and still making this brutal weight cut to 125 pounds. He has continued to win fights against quality opponents and cash numerous tickets as a sizeable underdog. Erceg is somewhat the opposite, fighting below his expectations and losing quite a few times as the big favorite. Erceg is talented in terms of his offensive boxing but he is a fighter that can sometimes struggle with keeping consistent output from one round to the next. He seems to prefer a clean striking match while Elliott will instead make him fight out of his comfort zone. Elliott keeps the pressure on opponents throughout his fights and constantly peppers them with very unorthodox attacks from range. Elliott will also mix up takedowns on occasion but I do think Erceg can counter those shots here in this matchup. Erceg is the more proficient submission grappler and also the larger fighter here as the cage door locks. Elliott would need to be very active to win here, likely taking rounds since I doubt his ability to stop Erceg standing. This market has properly adjusted after Erceg opened as the -400 betting favorite. I expect he will get his hand raised here fighting at home, but Elliott will make the bout more competitive than these odds would suggest. Steve Erceg by Decision
• Nick: Steve Erceg is 13-4 professionally, with six of those wins coming via submission. He is 1-3 across his last four fights, but each of his losses came against the absolute class of the division. Erceg’s striking continues to improve. He has underrated power and he’s technically sound everywhere. He has excellent cardio, and he’s capable of putting out a lot of volume on his feet. He certainly prefers to grapple, but he’s shown a well-rounded game against a quality level of competition.  Tim Elliot is known for his hyper aggressive and unconventional style. He starts fights like he is shot out of a cannon, but he can be susceptible to making mistakes at times via his overaggressive nature. He’s an effective grappler with a solid wrestling base. He’s excellent in scrambles and while his striking is far from conventional he’s effective as his awkward style makes him difficult for his opponents to read. Elliott will have a grappling advantage here, but I expect he’ll struggle to keep Erceg grounded as the much older and weaker fighter in this match-up. This should play out closer than the line suggests, but I expect the favorite to secure the win. Steve Erceg by Decision

Quillan Salkilld -500 vs Beneil Dariush +360

• Anthony: The co-main event is this fight at lightweight between Beneil Dariush and Quillan Salkilld. This should be one of the more exciting matchups of this event. Salkilld has won a Performance of the Night bonus in both of his previous two appearances. The 26 year old is one of Australia’s best prospects, blending his martial arts very well and looking composed on this eleven fight winning streak. He is a very big and powerful lightweight. Salkilld does very well kicking against opponents when his fights are at range. In the pocket this is a very talented boxer. Dariush is a southpaw that Salkilld can likely capitalize against with his best weapons. The most likely outcome in this fight is a first round finish for Salkilld. This prediction is easy given the recent form of both Salkilld and Dariush who is certainly looking his age now at 36. Durability is a serious issue for Dariush who has been stopped in three of his last four appearances. Dariush has always been measured against elite competition but Salkilld seems to have the tools standing to match up against him. Salkilld will be much quicker than Dariush and I think he will score a knockdown very early. Dariush is unlikely to humble Salkilld here on the mat either. Since joining the promotion Salkilld has proven impossible to take down. This fight serves as a method of catapulting Salkilld into the lightweight top ten. Quillan Salkilld by Round One KO
• Nick: Quillan Salkilld is just 26-years old, and 11-1 professionally, having not lost a fight since his professional debut back in 2021. Salkild is relatively well-rounded with four professional wins coming via KO and four coming via submission. He fights at a torrid pace and he’s shown to have excellent cardio, having won a five-round fight regionally for the Eternal MMA Lightweight Championship in 2023. He is 4-0 in the UFC, and while his skills aren’t entirely developed he does seem to be a fighter with a high ceiling and a prospect to keep an eye on moving forward. Beneil Dariush has an outstanding ground game, but his striking has been what has led to most of his success in the UFC. He’s a highly technical kick boxer who effectively mixes creative and timely spinning attacks into his combinations. Dariush is hyper-aggressive so he sometimes leaves himself open to damage, but he is a tough out for anyone and one of the more well-rounded fighters in the world at 155 lbs. As talented as he is, his durability has been declining dramatically as he enters this fight at 36 years old. He has lost via KO in six of his seven professional losses. The line is too wide here as Dariush is the more skilled fighter in this match-up. That being said, his declining durability is likely to be the difference here. Salkilld is the bigger and stronger fighter here, and he has the power to capitalize in this showcase matchup. Quilan Salkilld by Round Two KO

Carlos Prates -120 vs Jack Della Maddalena +100

• Anthony: The main event is a matchup between elite welterweights Carlos Prates and Jack Della Maddalena. Jack gets the luxury of competing here at home in Perth for the first time since UFC 284 when he defeated Randy Brown. The former champion is matched up against another great striker here and on paper this is a very favorable stylistic draw. Prates and Della Maddalena both switch stances frequently and attack with their lead hand. Della Maddalena is averaging 5.57 significant strikes per minute. His boxing combinations are very crisp and we have seen some crazy striking numbers in past performances. Prates is much more of a sniper who does not want to land as many strikes. He has scored nine knockdowns through just seven fights in the promotion. A knockout here would be extremely impressive considering the durability and chin of his opponent. Della Maddalena has proven more composed throughout long exchanges on the feet. Prates relies on his power and weapons in close to finish opponents by knockout. Della Maddalena is the much more economical fighter, mixing his attacks and landing well-timed counters against opponents that are content to strike with him. His defense is also far superior. Prates is a scary contender in this division but I do not think Della Maddalena will be put on his highlight reel. These are good odds for the former champion who has proven to have the better skillset and more comfort fighting over the course of five rounds. With a full 25 minutes to work here Jack could even look to score takedowns against Prates who is vulnerable to gassing out late. Watch for Della Maddalena’s pace and defensive awareness to be the key factors in this win. Jack Della Maddalena by Decision
• Nick: Prior to his recent loss to Islam Makhachev for the UFC Welterweight Championship, Jack Della Maddalena was coming off nine straight wins under the UFC banner. Della Maddalena is a gifted striker with a high volume boxing style. He’s extremely durable, he forces his opponents to fight at a torrid pace, and he does a good job gaining reads on his opponents as his fights wear on. He does an excellent job mixing in body shots to set up head strikes and while his defensive grappling is a glaring weakness in his game, he’s taking on another striker here against Carlos Prates. Carlos Prates is 32-years old with a 23-7 professional record. He’s coming off a highlight reel KO win over a former division champion in Leon Edwards.  He starts slow in most of his fights, but he’s extremely accurate and generally does a good job landing for timely KOs. Prates fights very loosely in his approach. He throws a lot of kicks, and his long frame can make it difficult for opponents to take him down. His striking defense seems solid, but he does move straight back at times which can leave him open to be damaged in exchanges. When he’s at his best he works well behind his jab. This should be a fun fight between two strikers, and mostly competitive throughout. That being said, Maddalena’s high volume style should allow him to pull out the win here. Prates actually has a negative strike differential coming into this matchup, and Maddalena is extremely durable. This could go either way, but I’m siding with the hometown favorite. Jack Della Maddalena by Decision

-Nick Marro

Twitter: @NickMarroDFS

-Anthony Marro

Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_

Photo: UFC.com