Homegrown hero set to headline Perth UFC event
The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to Perth this year with home-grown talent headlining the event.
Top-ranked UFC heavyweight Jack Della Maddalena will face fifth-ranked Carlos Prates on May 2 at the RAC Arena.
The Western Australia-born athlete was on an 18-fight winning streak and was undefeated in the UFC until facing Islam Makhachev in November last year.
The Perth event will be the fifth time the UFC has been held in the state and the first time it will be held on a Saturday night.
UFC Australia and New Zealand Senior Vice President Peter Kloczko said he expects there will be huge demand for tickets and the company will have the largest UFC Fight Night audience in the country.
“We are taking this to the next level with UFC Fight Night Perth in Perth, 2026,” he said.
“This event will mark another step forward for the UFC in Australia and continue to generate wider local interest and demand for our sport.
“I would like to thank the WA Government and Western Australia Tourism for the special partnership we have built over many years that has enabled positive developments like this.”
Sports Minister Rita Saffioti said the return of the event would make Perth the Australian home of the UFC.
“Western Australians continue to embrace the UFC, which we know is incredibly popular around the world and has really put Perth on the map,” he said.
“Every time the UFC comes to town, we see thousands of visitors come to our State, add millions to our economy and support local jobs.
“Broadcast to a large global audience, this event once again puts Perth on the world stage and strengthens our reputation as a world-class destination for major events.”
Perth has also signed a contract to host next year’s UFC pay-per-view event, according to the state government.
Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said events such as UFC Fight Night were delivering strong results for Western Australia, filling hotels, supporting local employment and bringing millions of dollars into the economy through visitor spending.
Tourism WA’s annual report for the 2024-25 financial yearIt showed the number of visitors in September fell to 11.7 million from 11.9 million in the previous 12-month period. The tourism agency had aimed to attract 12.1 million visitors to the state.
But the report highlighted that the Wallabies-Springboks clash at Optus Stadium, the Perth International Football Cup at HBF Park and UFC 305 at the RAC Arena collectively attracted more than 11,300 out-of-state visitors and generated more than $20 million in visitor spend.
The past 12 months have seen a number of major events bring tourists to Perth, including last year’s WWE Crown Jewel and again at the RAC Arena.
The first Ashes Test between Australia and England late last year brought in scores of tourists from the UK; The Women’s Asian Cup will start on Sunday afternoon when the Matildas face the Philippines at Optus Stadium.
