UFC is far from finished with Australia. Just last month, Dana White & Co. hosted the first event of the year on Australian soil with UFC 325 on the east coast. Now, the promotion is planning to return to Perth for its fifth event in the city, and the former champion Jack Della Maddalena is set to face knockout artist Carlos Prates on the west coast.

“Reports that the UFC is going back to Perth, Australia on the weekend of May 2nd. He also says the expected main is JDM vs. Carlos Prates,” the Australian MMA page reported on X.

Jack Della Maddalena last fought in the Octagon in November at UFC 322, where he defended his welterweight title against former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. However, Makhachev defeated him, and JDM lost his belt at the stacked Madison Square Garden. On the same night, Carlos Prates knocked out former champion Leon Edwards, earning his 14th career knockout.

“I couldn’t confirm/double-check the validity of the information myself at the moment,” the ‘The Matchmaker’s page included a disclaimer. “I’m sharing still since isn’t in the business of putting fake news out there and has proven to be reliable in the past.

I would have only RTed normally, but the mate isn’t active on Twitter, hence why the formal tweet instead. The graphic comes from his IG page, too, so full credit goes to him.”

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The upcoming UFC Perth event, potentially in May, comes from a special agreement between UFC’s parent company, TKO, and the Western Australian government, signed last year. As part of the deal, the promotion will host four additional UFC events along with sister company WWE shows throughout 2026.

Last September, UFC visited Perth for UFC Fight Night 260: Ulberg vs. Reyes. Now, the upcoming Perth event clearly shows how much the UFC values the Australian market, which it has already included in the Paramount deal. This also lets Paramount+ subscribers watch fights from the “down under” regions.

On top of that, an Australian champion has boosted the promotion, and successes in Australia help Dana White & Co. expand beyond their American markets.

UFC 325 delivers unprecedented numbers

Last month, at UFC 325, the promotion visited Sydney for the eighth time since UFC 312. The event was main evented by Alexander Volkanovski, who defeated Diego Lopes, defending his title in his home country. The fight got 18,000 fans to Qudos Bank Arena and generated a $14.4 million live gate, breaking the previous record. Even Dana White couldn’t resist praising the event.

“As usual, another incredible event in Australia,” UFC chief executive and president Dana White said. “Indoor arena record for highest gate in Australian history, sold out, fans are incredible, and the fighters delivered. We love coming here.”

While Australia has proven to be a profitable market, the promotion now aims to expand into other territories like Mexico, China, and Japan. That said, UFC events consistently provide strong economic benefits for Australia. UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski boosted the Western Australia economy by $42.8 million and created 233 local jobs, according to an economic impact study.

Taking all this into account, which market do you think will benefit UFC the most in the future? Will it be Asia, Australia, or elsewhere? Drop your opinions below.