UFC Perth Reaction: 5-1 on Picks, One Shoey Pick Away From Perfection

We might have to start calling this shit Dead Roots Mystic Mac.

UFC Perth is in the books, and the Dead Roots Violence Forecast went 5-1 on the main card picks.

Five wins. One miss.

And the one miss was Tai Tuivasa, who I basically picked because he’s Tai Tuivasa, drinks out of a shoe, and is impossible not to love.

So if we’re being honest, the real scorecard is:

Real analysis picks: 5-0
Fan-favorite shoey pick: 0-1
Official record: 5-1

That is a damn good morning of fight forecasting.

The card gave us chaos, knockouts, hometown heartbreak, young killers making statements, and one cigarette-smoking lunatic walking into enemy territory and smoking the hometown party.

That’s exactly the kind of weird violence we signed up for.

Carlos Prates Smoked the Hometown Party

Let’s start with the big one.

I picked Carlos Prates over Jack Della Maddalena by KO, and that’s exactly the kind of read that makes you want to walk around the house like you’re holding two imaginary belts.

Prates came into Perth against the hometown guy, in front of an Australian crowd ready to lose its mind for Della Maddalena, and he did not give a single shit.

He broke Jack down with damage, leg kicks, pressure, and eventually got the third-round TKO. MMA Mania described Prates overwhelming Della Maddalena with leg kicks and elbows before getting the Round 3 finish.

That was the whole read before the fight.

Prates had that dangerous, weird, calm psycho energy. Long, sharp, violent, and comfortable walking into the fire. Jack had the hometown crowd and the cleaner boxing reputation, but Prates had the kind of finishing threat where one bad exchange can turn your homecoming into a crime scene.

That’s what happened.

Pick: Carlos Prates by KO/TKO
Result: Carlos Prates by TKO, Round 3
Dead Roots Grade: Nailed it

And yes — the Conor callout would’ve still been gnarly.

Quillan Salkilld Made the Veteran Read Look Right

I picked Quillan Salkilld over Beneil Dariush by finish, and the kid wasted no damn time.

Salkilld stopped Dariush in the first round, and that was a loud statement. MMA Mania had it as a Round 1 knockout/TKO, while FightMag listed the finish at 3:29 of Round 1.

This was the youth-vs-veteran read.

I love Beneil Dariush. Always have. Tough as hell, skilled everywhere, veteran dog, real one. But I said going in that this felt like one of those spots where the younger fighter was stepping into his time, and Dariush was carrying too much recent mileage.

That is exactly how it played.

Salkilld looked fresh, sharp, dangerous, and ready for the moment. Dariush is still respected, but this game is cruel. At some point, the young killers stop asking permission and start taking names.

Pick: Quillan Salkilld by finish
Result: Salkilld by Round 1 TKO/KO
Dead Roots Grade: Nailed it

That kid is officially on the radar.

Steve Erceg Did the Clean Work

I picked Steve Erceg over Tim Elliott by decision, and this one hit clean too.

Erceg beat Elliott by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 29-28.

This was exactly what I expected.

Tim Elliott is chaos in human form. The guy fights like he learned MMA in a haunted laundromat. Weird angles, scrambles, ugly rhythm, constant nonsense. He can make clean fighters look uncomfortable fast.

But Erceg was the cleaner side. More composed, more technical, and fighting with that hometown-Australia card energy behind him.

It wasn’t a blowout, but it didn’t need to be.

Pick: Steve Erceg by decision
Result: Erceg by unanimous decision
Dead Roots Grade: Perfect call

Winner and method. Cash it.

Marwan Rahiki Was Exactly the Young Savage We Thought

I switched this one to Marwan Rahiki by KO, and thank God we did.

Rahiki beat Ollie Schmid by first-round TKO, with FightMag listing the stoppage at 2:47 of Round 1.

That was one of my favorite calls on the card.

The read was simple: young, undefeated, active, confident, and fighting like a guy who hasn’t learned fear yet.

There’s something dangerous about that.

Rahiki came in and fought like he belonged. No long feeling-out process. No deer-in-the-headlights debut energy. Just pressure, confidence, and a statement finish.

Pick: Marwan Rahiki by KO/TKO
Result: Rahiki by Round 1 TKO
Dead Roots Grade: Nailed it

Book another finish, boys.

Brando Peričić Brought Heavyweight Violence

I picked Brando Peričić by finish, and this one delivered exactly what heavyweight MMA is supposed to deliver: chaos, damage, and somebody getting shut off.

Peričić knocked out Shamil Gaziev in the second round. MMA Fighting reported the finish came at 3:44 of Round 2, after a heavyweight slugfest where Peričić eventually landed the finishing combination.

This was another gym-pedigree/upside read. I liked Brando’s toughness, his finishing ability, and the fact that he trains around serious killers.

But heavyweight MMA is always stupid. One punch can make any prediction look like trash. That’s why getting this one right feels even better.

Pick: Brando Peričić by finish
Result: Peričić by Round 2 KO/TKO
Dead Roots Grade: Nailed it

The Balkan Bear did Balkan Bear things.

The Only Miss: Tai Tuivasa, AKA Shoey Propaganda

Alright.

Let’s talk about the one miss.

I picked Tai Tuivasa by KO, and I’ll own that one.

That was not elite tape study. That was not some deep technical read. That was not me seeing a matchup edge nobody else saw.

That was pure shoey propaganda.

Tai is a fan favorite. He’s beloved in Australia. He’s beloved here in Florida. The man drinks out of a shoe after knocking people out. Sometimes you just ride with the chaos because your heart wants one more walk-off bomb from the guy.

But Louie Sutherland had other plans.

Sutherland beat Tai by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 30-26. MMA Fighting reported Sutherland dominated with takedowns and ground control, while Tai struggled to get much going and had a point deducted late for an illegal knee.

That one hurt, because Tai is the man.

But the matchup screamed danger in hindsight. Sutherland turned it into a grinding, ugly, control-heavy fight and spoiled the party.

Pick: Tai Tuivasa by KO
Result: Louie Sutherland by unanimous decision
Dead Roots Grade: Heart pick disaster

Would I pick Tai again?

Probably.

Because I’m sick in the head.

Dead Roots Pick Scorecard

Fight	Dead Roots Pick	Actual Result	Grade
Carlos Prates vs. Jack Della Maddalena	Prates by KO	Prates by TKO, R3	Nailed it
Quillan Salkilld vs. Beneil Dariush	Salkilld by finish	Salkilld by R1 TKO/KO	Nailed it
Steve Erceg vs. Tim Elliott	Erceg by decision	Erceg by unanimous decision	Perfect
Marwan Rahiki vs. Ollie Schmid	Rahiki by KO	Rahiki by R1 TKO	Nailed it
Brando Peričić vs. Shamil Gaziev	Peričić by finish	Peričić by R2 KO/TKO	Nailed it
Tai Tuivasa vs. Louie Sutherland	Tai by KO	Sutherland by unanimous decision	❌ Shoey tax

Final record: 5-1

And honestly?

That’s nasty.

What We Learned

The big lesson from UFC Perth is simple: the young killers showed up, and the hometown favorites had mixed results.

Prates walked into Perth and made himself impossible to ignore. Salkilld proved he’s not just a fun prospect — he’s a problem. Rahiki looked like a dude worth tracking. Peričić kept building his heavyweight chaos resume. Erceg stayed composed and got the job done.

And Tai?

Tai is still Tai. Beloved, dangerous, entertaining, but probably at a scary point in his career after another tough loss. Sutherland took the fight on short notice and still dominated the style of fight, which makes his win even more impressive.

The card delivered.

And the picks delivered too.