UFC PERTH BETTING TIPS: POWER PLAYS & SLUGGERS DOWN UNDER
UFC Perth flips the mixed martial arts world on its axis this weekend with a slightly earlier start time – and it's shaping up to be a cracker as former welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena battles Carlos Prates in the main event.
UFC Fight Night: All You Need to Know
- Start time: 21:00 BST (prelims); 00:00 BST (main card)
- Event date: Sat 2nd May
- Venue: RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
- How to watch: TNT Sports / HBO Max
- Event markets: Click here
Tip 1 – Over 3.5 rounds in Della Maddalena vs Prates @ 10/11
This will be Jack Della Maddalena’s (18-3-0) first fight since losing his welterweight crown in one of the most one-sided title bouts in recent memory.
How much of that loss still weighs on the Aussie certainly remains to be seen but he’ll have the chance to let bygones be bygones this Saturday in his home country.
Unfortunately for him, he’s up against someone equally as motivated and just as dangerous.
In just under three years, Carlos Prates (23-7-0) has made quite a name for himself, racking up a stunning list of knockouts en route to a 6-1 record in the promotion.
Australia and Brazil couldn’t be any further apart geographically but, when it comes to striking, these two are about as fluent in the language of violence as it gets.
Which, by that same token, makes this certified slobberknocker so difficult to predict.
‘The Nightmare’ goes into this as arguably the most aggressive striker Della Maddalena has faced – to the point where wrestling his way out of certain scrapes may be his only escape in a bid to tire the Brazilian.
That’s why we’re leaning towards over 3.5 rounds here, especially with each of the Australian’s last five fights trudging into those deep, deep waters.
Tip 2 – Salkilld by KO, TKO or DQ @ 8/13
Few prospects in the UFC have a highlight reel quite like Quillan Salkilld (11-1-0).
Since coming off the Contender Series in 2024, the Aussie has neck-cranked Jamie Mullarkey to submission, knocked Nasrat Haqparast out with a devastating head kick and outclassed Yanal Ashmouz and Anshul Jubli.
His opponent Beneil Dariush (23-7-1) is coming off a 16-second KO loss to Benoit Saint Denis and has suffered seven career losses at this point, six of them by KO/TKO, three of those via stoppages in his last four fights.
Yeah… we’ll keep this one short and sweet: Salkilld is knocking the 36-year-old out cold.
Tip 3 – Erceg by decision @ EVS
Perth’s own Steve Erceg (13-4-0) stopped the rot of a three-fight skid last time out with a decision victory over Ode Osbourne – not that his losses were anything to be embarrassed about.
Especially if you saw his title match against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301.
There’s a strong case to be made that, had ‘Astroboy’ kept the action on the feet, we could be looking at the current, not former, flyweight champion.
Losses that size are a great teacher, whether or not those lessons learned will be made clear in how he approaches Tim Elliot (22-13-1), a gritty veteran with more than a decade in the UFC under his belt.
Elliot has successfully submitted his last two opponents in some style – Kai Asakura definitely getting off the lighter of the two given the amount of blood Su Mudaerji was coughing up in the near 40-year-old’s clutches.
The American’s ability to ground opponents is paramount to the usual strategy he deploys, something Erceg should be well aware of if he’s done his homework.
Erceg will end up on the mat at some point – as his 62% takedown defence suggests – but he has the skill to work his way back to his feet, where we expect him to have the most edge in front of friends and family.
We don’t see him finishing Elliot inside three rounds or anything like that, though.
It’s only happened once in 35 fights, and the Missouri native only seems to get tougher with age.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
