UFC Perth is bringing us one of those weird beautiful fight fan mornings — Cereal Killer C4 energy drink in one hand, violence on the screen, and a welterweight main event that feels WAY bigger than a regular Fight Night.
On Saturday, May 2, the UFC heads to RAC Arena in Perth, Australia for Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates, a five-round welterweight main event with real title-picture energy. The card is scheduled for 4:00 AM ET, with the U.S. broadcast listed on Paramount+, so this is absolutely one of those “set the alarm or catch the replay” situations.
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Main Event: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates
This is the good stuff.
Jack Della Maddalena is fighting at home in Australia, and that alone changes the temperature of the fight. The crowd is going to be insane, the pressure is going to be real, and every clean shot he lands is going to sound like he just knocked somebody through a wall.
But Carlos Prates is not showing up to be the guest at someone else’s party. He is long (pause), dangerous, calm under fire, and carries that “one mistake and your night is over” type of striking threat. Tapology lists Della Maddalena at 18-3 and Prates at 23-7, with both fighters sitting near even odds on the matchup page, which tells you everything: this is not a layup for either guy.
For Jack, the key is pressure, boxing rhythm, body work, and not letting Prates get comfortable at range. For Prates, it is about distance management, intercepting Jack on the way in, and making the hometown hero pay every time he tries to close the gap. Stick around for my pick on this one and why.
Dead Roots read: I expect a technical war early, but this one has “somebody gets badly hurt in rounds 3-5” written all over it. This will be a banger.
Co-Main Event: Beneil Dariush vs. Quillan Salkilld
This is a classic veteran vs. rising threat fight.
Beneil Dariush has been around the top of lightweight forever. He is experienced, crafty, dangerous in scrambles, and still the kind of guy who can make a young fighter look like they skipped a few chapters in the textbook.
Quillan Salkilld is the younger, fresher name here, and Tapology’s card has him listed as a heavy favorite over Dariush. That makes this one interesting because Dariush is exactly the type of veteran who can punish hype if the younger guy gets careless.
Dead Roots read: If Dariush survives the early speed and makes this ugly, he has a path. But if Salkilld keeps it clean, fast, and disciplined, this could be a major statement.
Flyweight Scrap: Tim Elliott vs. Steve Erceg
Tim Elliott fights like a man who learned MMA inside a tornado. Awkward movement, weird angles, nonstop chaos — he can make clean fighters look uncomfortable fast.
Steve Erceg is more technical, more composed, and fighting in front of the Australian crowd. This is one of those fights where style matters more than record. If Erceg stays sharp and does not get dragged into Elliott’s weird rhythm, he should have moments to take over.
Dead Roots read: Elliott makes it annoying, but Erceg feels like the cleaner pick.
Heavyweight Alert: Tai Tuivasa vs. Louie Sutherland
You already know what time it is.
Tai Tuivasa fighting in Australia means the arena is going to be ready for a shoey before the cage door even closes. He is explosive, powerful, and always dangerous early. Louie Sutherland steps into a massive spot here, and heavyweight MMA is heavyweight MMA — one punch changes everything.
Tapology lists this as one of two heavyweight fights on the main card, alongside Shamil Gaziev vs. Brando Peričić. Translation: big boys swinging before breakfast. (check out my breakfast options in my cookbook too ;-) Gains and Grappling: The Hardgainers Bible By (hardcover) Jake Roaf).
Dead Roots read: If Tai lands clean early, Perth might explode. #Shoeys? Lets fucking hope boys.
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Full Card Watchlist
The listed UFC Perth card includes:
- Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates
- Beneil Dariush vs. Quillan Salkilld
- Tim Elliott vs. Steve Erceg
- Marwan Rahiki vs. Ollie Schmid
- Shamil Gaziev vs. Brando Peričić
- Tai Tuivasa vs. Louie Sutherland
- Cam Rowston vs. Robert Bryczek
- Junior Tafa vs. K. Christian
- Jacob Malkoun vs. Gerald Meerschaert
- Cody Thicknesse vs. Vince Morales
- Wes Schultz vs. Ben Johnston
- J. Micallef vs. Themba Gorimbo
- Kody Steele vs. Dom Mar Fan
Fight cards can always shift late, but as of now, Tapology lists 13 MMA bouts for the event.
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Betting Odds Snapshot
Odds move fast, especially during fight week, so always double-check your sportsbook before locking anything in. As of this preview, the market has Carlos Prates vs. Jack Della Maddalena basically sitting near pick’em territory, with Prates slightly favored across several books and Della Maddalena hovering around even-money/plus-money range.
Current moneyline ranges:
- Carlos Prates: around -108 to -127
- Jack Della Maddalena: around +100 to +104, with some books showing slight negative money
- Beneil Dariush: around +310 to +350
- Quillan Salkilld: around -400 to -520
- Steve Erceg: around -251 to -310
- Tim Elliott: around +189 to +230
- Tai Tuivasa: around -175 to -205
- Louie Sutherland: around +140 to +170
- Jacob Malkoun: around -791 to -1250
- Gerald Meerschaert: around +600 to +750
- Cam Rowston: around -170 to -200
- Robert Bryczek: around +140 to +163
- Junior Tafa: around -188 to -220
- Kevin Christian: around +150 to +178
- Jonathan Micallef: around -230 to -265
- Themba Gorimbo: around +190 to +217
- Colby Thicknesse: around -127 to -138
- Vince Morales: around +106 to +122
- Kody Steele: around -200 to -220
- Dom Mar Fan: around +163 to +175
- Benjamin Johnston: around -144 to -158
- Wes Schultz: around +118 to +138
The biggest favorites on the board right now look like Jacob Malkoun, Quillan Salkilld, Steve Erceg, and Jonathan Micallef. The main event is the tightest big fight on the card, which makes sense — Della Maddalena has the home crowd and clean boxing, but Prates brings serious finishing danger.
Dead Roots betting read:
I’m not calling this a betting advice column — I’m just sayin' the violence forecast is spicy brotha. The main event being close on the books tells you this is not some hometown layup. Prates has the scary finishing upside, but if Jack starts touching the body and building momentum behind that Perth crowd, this thing could get nasty late. and Tai?!?!? TAI?!?!?!? How about some fuckin' SHOEYS????!!!
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Dead Roots Fight Picks
Now let’s get into the picks. Not financial advice, not some polished ESPN desk segment, just straight violence forecasting from the Dead Roots side of the swamp.
Carlos Prates over Jack Della Maddalena
I’m going with the wild one here: Carlos Prates.
This lad smokes like a chimney, bangs like a maniac, and just has that gangster aura where you feel like something ridiculous could happen at any second. Della Maddalena is the hometown hero, he’s slick, and Perth is going to be rocking for him, but Prates feels like the kind of guy who can ruin the party with one clean shot.
I’m calling the upset.
Pick: Carlos Prates by KO
And honestly, if this man sparks Jack in Australia and grabs the mic for a Conor McGregor callout? That would be fucking gnarly.
Quillan Salkilld over Beneil Dariush
I love Beneil Dariush. Always have. Dude is a legend, a real one, and one of those fighters you never want to fully count out.
But he’s older now, he’s taken some tough losses recently, and this feels like one of those moments where the younger fighter is stepping into his time.
Quillan Zane Salkilld is young, active, confident, and he feels like he’s walking into this fight with momentum on his side. Dariush has the experience, but Salkilld has the freshness, pace, and hunger.
Pick: Quillan Salkilld by finish
I think he wins convincingly and makes a real statement here.
Steve Erceg over Tim Elliott
Tim Elliott is another American great and a certified chaos merchant. The guy fights weird, scrambles weird, moves weird, and somehow makes everything uncomfortable.
But I’m riding with the hometown hero here.
Steve Erceg should be the cleaner, sharper fighter. If he stays disciplined and doesn’t get dragged into Tim Elliott’s tornado, I think he banks rounds and controls the fight.
Pick: Steve Erceg by decision
Could be 30-27. Could be 29-28. Either way, I think Erceg gets it done on the cards.
Marwan Rahiki over Ollie Schmid
I’m taking Marwan Rahiki here.
Kid is young, undefeated, active, and clearly believes in himself. He just fought recently, he’s already jumping right back in, and this will be his second UFC fight. That type of confidence matters.
There’s something dangerous about a young fighter who hasn’t learned fear yet. He’s still climbing, still hungry, and still fighting like he knows people are about to start paying attention.
Pick: Marwan Rahiki by KO
Book another finish here too, boys. This kid has confidence, momentum, and I think he makes a statement.
Brando Peričić over Shamil Gaziev
Give me Brando Peričić here.
He trains with legit killers, has that serious gym pedigree, and feels like another one of those names coming out of a room full of monsters. When you’re working around guys like Izzy and elite-level strikers, that sharpens you whether you like it or not.
This is heavyweight, so nothing is ever safe. One bad read and somebody wakes up asking what happened. But I like Brando’s upside here.
Pick: Brando Peričić by finish
Book another finish, boys. The violence forecast is heating up.
Tai Tuivasa over Louie Sutherland
I don’t care who Tai is fighting. I’m picking Tai.
He’s the hometown favorite, he’s got massive star power, and somehow he’s just as popular with fight fans here in Florida as he is in Australia. The man drinks out of a shoe after knocking people out. How do you not love this cat?
Heavyweight fights are always a coin flip wrapped in chaos, but Tai in Australia feels like the kind of spot where the crowd goes insane and he comes out swinging like a man possessed.
Pick: Tai Tuivasa by KO
Could it go to the cards? Sure. But fuck it. Book the KO.
Dead Roots Pick Summary
- Carlos Prates over Jack Della Maddalena — KO
- Quillan Salkilld over Beneil Dariush — Finish
- Steve Erceg over Tim Elliott — Decision
- Marwan Rahiki over Ollie Schmid — KO
- Brando Peričić over Shamil Gaziev — Finish
- Tai Tuivasa over Louie Sutherland — KO
This card feels like a beautiful mess. Hometown pressure, young killers, veteran tests, heavyweight chaos, and a main event where one cigarette-smoking lunatic might walk into enemy territory and blow the whole damn roof off.
That’s the kind of card we like around here.
Final Thoughts
This card has a little bit of everything: hometown pressure, welterweight title implications, heavyweight chaos, veteran tests, and enough Australian crowd energy to make the whole thing feel bigger than a normal Fight Night.
The main event is the real prize. Della Maddalena has the cleaner boxing and the hometown moment, but Prates has the type of danger that makes every exchange feel like a trap door.
Breakfast card. Violence card. Perth card. Let’s fucking go boys.
— Dead Roots Fight Co. Captain,
Cyclops10p