Jack Della Maddalena’s coach issues statement following UFC Perth stoppage loss – ‘We are all hurting’

It was a rough night for Scrappy MMA.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena suffered a third-round stoppage loss to surging Brazilian contender Carlos Prates at UFC Perth this past weekend (Sat., May 2, 2026) inside RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia (watch highlights).

While ”JDM” has yet to publicly address the defeat, his head coach at Scrappy MMA, Ben Vickers, shared a brief but telling message shortly after the fight.

“We are all hurting today in different ways, but that’s the game we play, we will rebuild and come back stronger. Thank you for all of the messages of support,” Vickers wrote on Instagram.

The loss marks a tough stretch for the Australian standout, who has now dropped back-to-back fights for the first time since the start of his professional career in 2016. It also likely costs him his No. 1-ranking in the Welterweight division.

Compounding matters, Vickers also cornered Tai Tuivasa at UFC Perth, who suffered his seventh consecutive defeat on the same card — making it an especially difficult outing for the Scrappy MMA team.

As for Della Maddalena (18-4), the damage taken against Prates suggests a layoff could be in order. With multiple fall cards on the horizon, including Abu Dhabi in October, the timing of his return remains up in the air.

A matchup with Canada’s Mike Malott could make sense once he’s ready to get back in the mix.

For complete UFC Perth results, coverage and highlights click HERE.