Jack Della Maddalena has gone further than most ex-champions in describing the toll of losing his title, admitting that the November defeat to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322 lingered well beyond fight night.
The Perth-born welterweight, who lost his belt by submission across five gruelling rounds in his first championship defence, has framed his return to the Octagon at UFC Perth on Saturday as a chance to put a difficult chapter behind him. He fights Brazilian striker Carlos Prates in the night's main event at RAC Arena.
"I think I lost to the better man," Della Maddalena said in an interview ahead of the fight. "There were things I could have done better that would have given us more opportunity to get the victory, but onwards and upwards, you know? I just had to take it on the chin and admit that he was the better man that night."
The Australian was equally candid about the period that followed. The defeat, his first as champion, denied him the long welterweight title reign many had projected after his demolition of Belal Muhammad to win the belt. He has acknowledged that the experience took some processing.
The sentiment surfaces clearly in his preparation for the Prates bout. The 30-year-old has spoken about a renewed focus on defensive discipline and on the need to stay alert against an opponent whose finishing rate is among the highest in the welterweight division. Prates' last two outings ended in highlight-reel knockouts, including a spinning back elbow that put Geoff Neal on the canvas.
"He's an awesome fighter — really a dangerous guy, an exciting guy to watch," Della Maddalena said of Prates. "You've gotta be absolutely switched on — can't lose focus in this one. I believe I've got the defensive skills to stay away from the big shots."
The Australian also embraced the emotional weight of headlining at home for the first time in his career.
"It's really special. Even the last fight, the dreams, the intentions were 'next time I fight here, I'm gonna be headlining this card,' and it's come around. Now I get to headline the hometown show, which is really a dream come true," he said.
The stakes for Della Maddalena extend beyond the immediate result. A statement win over Prates positions him for a return to the title picture in a welterweight division now anchored by Makhachev's reign. A loss, particularly by stoppage, would consign him to two consecutive defeats and reshape the conversation about his ceiling at the top of the division.
Prates carries his own clear ambitions into the bout. The Brazilian has indicated publicly that he believes a victory in Perth secures him a title shot at Makhachev. He has also separately addressed speculation about a future bout with Conor McGregor, dismissing the side-narrative to focus exclusively on Della Maddalena.
The atmosphere at RAC Arena promises to be among the most charged of any UFC night this year. Della Maddalena's previous Perth appearances have produced enormous home crowds, and he has spoken in past interviews about the responsibility of representing his city on a UFC main event card.
The demons of UFC 322 will not be exorcised by mere words. Della Maddalena, for the first time since that night, gets to answer them with action.
