Carlos Prates delivered a lights-out performance against ex-titleholder Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC Perth main event on Saturday.
Things were immediately intense between the two as both fighters nearly started the fight before the official bell.
Once things got underway, it was Prate who appeared to land the more impactful strikes, peppering ‘JDM’ with jabs and landing a nasty knee to the ex-champ’s dome.
But despite everything Prates threw at him, Della Maddalena still finished the round on top after securing an all-too-easy takedown in the waning moments of the first.
‘JDM’ went back to the well in round two, but he got a little overzealous, allowing Prates to sneak out the back door during a takedown attempt. Once free from Della Maddalena’s grasp, Prates teed off on the Aussie, unleashing another hellacious knee to the head before offering up an onslaught of strikes.
‘JDM’ survived the flurry, but ended up on his back at the end of the round after eating a nasty calf kick that took his left out from under him.
Della Maddalena once again tried to get things to the mat in round three. Unsuccessful in his attempt, it was just a matter of time before Prates would tee off on the Aussie again.
That moment came near the halfway point of the round when Prates sent ‘JDM’ crashing to the canvas with another brutal calf kick. With his back on the mat, Prates unleashed a bevy of brutal 12-to-6 elbows, forcing referee Mike Beltran to step in and stop the massacre.
Official Result: Carlos Prates def. Jack Della Maddalena via TKO (calf kick to elbows) at 3:17 of Round 3.
