The UFC returns to Australia on Saturday night when former welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena headlines the Perth card main event against Carlos Prates.
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The main card, which begins at 9pm AEST, is stacked with homegrown talent as knockout machine Quillan Salkilld faces the toughest test of his career in Beneil Dariush.
Tai Tuivasa, meanwhile, opens the main card in a fight against Louie Sutherland which the big-hitting heavyweight admitted will see his future in the sport go on the line.
All eyes, however, will be on Della Maddalena in what is his first fight since losing his welterweight crown to Islam Makhachev.
“It haunted me for a few nights for sure,” Della Maddalena admitted.
“But I was always expected to fight some of the big challenges, obviously. Carlos was someone I definitely thought I was going to fight at some point. It would be nice to be fighting him as the champion but that’s just not the way it turned out.”
Elsewhere, Salkilld is looking to continue his rapid rise up the lightweight division when he faces No.12 ranked veteran Dariush in the co-main event.
Salkilld has quickly made a name for himself, having knocked out Anshul Jubli in just 19 seconds in his UFC debut before then delivering a KO of the year contender against Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 321.
Now, the Perth native is looking to break into the division’s top 15.
“I’m just trying to prove that I belong in the upper echelon of the division,” Salkilld said. “This is my path, and to get to do it in front of my home crowd and go home 10 minutes down the road, this is going to be a sick, sick night.
“… I want them to see a dangerous, hungry lightweight coming in, hungry to take their spot. And I want to put myself right on the map and make them very wary of what’s to come.”
Kicking off the main card is fan favourite Tuivasa, whose last win in the UFC came in February 2022. It is why the stakes are so high for the Sydney native on Saturday.
“My arse is on the line,” Tuivasa said.
“It’s probably been on the line a lot of the time, but I f***ing put asses in the seat, so it is what it is. I feel good and I’m going to go out there and do what Bam Bam does, in Bam Bam style. Not f***ing lose, d***heads.”