Brazilian welterweight Carlos Prates dominated hometown fighter Jack Della Maddalena to win the main event clash at UFC Fight Night in Perth, Australia, on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera.
Prates dismantled the Australian fighter with a variety of strikes throughout the bout. Late in the second round, a heavy calf kick sent Della Maddostalena to the canvas.
The onslaught continued into the third round, where Prates dropped the local fighter three more times. These knockdowns were achieved via a knee, a head kick, and a leg kick before the referee stopped the fight.
Following the victory, the 32-year-old Prates positioned himself as a top contender in the division. He issued a challenge to the winner of the upcoming, though still unconfirmed, welterweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Ian Machado.
“I can punch, I can knee, I can kick … so I’m better, and now I feel like I’m the number one contender,” Prates said after the match. “I can’t wait to see Makhachev and Ian, and then I’m going to fight the winner.”
The win marks Prates' third straight victory, improving his professional record to 24-7 with 19 wins by knockout. The 29-year-old Della Maddalena fell to 18-4 with 12 wins by knockout following his second consecutive loss.
In the co-main event, 26-year-old Australian Quillan Salkilld secured a first-round technical knockout (TKO) against 36-year-old lightweight Beneil Dariush. The result improved Salkilld's record to 12-1.
The main card featured several other decisive results. Flyweight Steve Erceg defeated Tim Elliott via unanimous decision, while featherweight Marwan Rahiki won against Ollie Schmid by TKO.
In the heavyweight division, Brando Pericic knocked out Shamil Gaziev in the second round. Additionally, Louie Sutherland earned a unanimous decision victory over Tai Tuivasa.
