New UFC Welterweight Rankings: Carlos Prates Demolishes JDM in UFC Perth Main Event

Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images On Saturday morning (in the United States), two of the best welterweights on the planet faced off in the main event of UFC Perth when former division king Jack Della Maddalena took on dangerous Brazilian striker Carlos Prates. A win could get the former champ right back into title contention this year. However, it did not take long to see that Prates was the better fighter, and over two-plus rounds, he got surgical with it and took Della Maddalena apart en route to a TKO win.

The victory adds his name to the contender discussion in 2026. Following the UFC Perth main event, let’s see where Prates and Della Maddalena land in our new UFC welterweight rankings. 10.

Joaquin Buckley (21-7) Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Joaquin Buckley has hit several bumps in the road during his UFC career. However, much of that was at middleweight. But since he made the move to 170 pounds last year, “New Mansa” went on a tear and won six straight.

Three of those victories came against greats of this era, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Colby Covington. He got his biggest test yet when he faced division legend Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta. However, while he is one of the most dangerous strikers in the weight class, the former champ exposed his major grappling deficiencies in a one-sided decision loss.