TLDR
- Islam Makhachev suggests Jack Della Maddalena hasn’t fully recovered from their championship fight
- Della Maddalena was knocked out by Carlos Prates at UFC Perth, his second consecutive loss
- Makhachev watched the fight live and said Della Maddalena ‘could not collect himself’
- The champion noted Della Maddalena couldn’t find his range and took too many shots
- Makhachev said Carlos Prates is the most hyped welterweight contender right now
Sources: Bloody Elbow | Sherdog | MMA Fighting | MMA Mania
UFC champion Islam Makhachev believes Jack Della Maddalena may not have fully recovered from their title fight before losing at UFC Perth last weekend. The champion suggested the Australian welterweight is still feeling the effects of their previous encounter.
Della Maddalena was knocked out by Carlos Prates in the third round of the UFC Perth main event. It marked his second consecutive loss after dropping the UFC welterweight championship to Makhachev in their previous fight.
Makhachev watched the fight live and provided his analysis of what went wrong for his former opponent. “Of course I was watching it, I was watching it live,” Makhachev told Red Corner MMA.
“Apparently Maddalena could not collect himself,” the champion said. “Maybe he hasn’t fully recovered from the last defeat.”
Islam Makhachev was rewatching his fight with Jack Della Maddalena and posted a clip of JDM looking defeated between rounds 😬
Jack recently said he made that face because he was dissapointed with himself
(via @AustralianMMA_) pic.twitter.com/jRerzdpL7x
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 28, 2026
Technical Breakdown of the Loss
Makhachev studied Della Maddalena extensively before their championship fight and noticed key differences in Perth. He said Della Maddalena couldn’t establish his usual fighting style.
“He couldn’t find his range,” Makhachev explained. “I have studied his fights a lot before we fought.”
The champion described Della Maddalena’s typical approach in the octagon. “He gets close, changes levels, and throws but this time around, he just got close and took shots,” he said.
Makhachev gave credit to Prates for his performance. “Prates did an excellent job,” the champion stated.
The loss wasn’t a close fight according to reports. Prates grew in confidence throughout the match before securing the knockout finish.
Welterweight Title Picture
Makhachev discussed the current welterweight title contender landscape following the Perth event. He said the UFC hasn’t informed him who his next opponent will be.
“The UFC haven’t informed me yet, but there’s been a lot of rumors about me fighting Ian Garry next,” Makhachev told Red Corner MMA. “Yet, I haven’t talked with any [UFC] officials about this fight.”
The champion listed several potential challengers for his welterweight title. “I’ve got three or four possible matchups,” he said.
“Kamaru Usman is also up there,” Makhachev noted. “Ian Garry, Morales, Prates.”
“That’s four contenders, plus Shavkat [Rakhmonov] might be No. 5,” he added. “They’re all expecting a title shot.”
Makhachev believes Prates has positioned himself well with the Perth victory. “I think Prates has got the hype now,” the champion said.
“He’s talked about much more now,” Makhachev explained. “So, I think a fight against him would be the most interesting.”
Prates claimed after his win that Makhachev is set to defend against Ian Garry in August. However, Makhachev said no official announcement has been made.
The champion is expected to defend his welterweight title later this year. Prates has only one UFC loss, which came against Ian Garry.
Della Maddalena now faces questions about his future in the welterweight division after two consecutive one-sided defeats. Makhachev’s comments suggest the Australian fighter may need time to recover mentally and physically from recent setbacks.
