Underdogs at UFC Perth

The Land Down Under will play host to one of the most anticipated mixed martial arts cards of the early summer season, UFC Perth. Headlining this fantastic event is none other than former welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena, who will be making his first Octagon appearance since losing his title to Islam Makhachev last year at UFC 322. His opponent is Fighting Nerds product Carlos Prates, who has emerged as one of the most entertaining knockout artists in the company today. 

Besides this marquee matchup, UFC Perth will include more engaging bouts such as a flyweight contender contest between Tim Elliott and Steve Erceg and a fun lightweight scrap with Beneil Dariush taking on hot prospect Quillan Salkilld. While the established names of the event stand as compelling favorites over their opponents, the underdogs are certainly not outmatched, with some boasting considerable punching power and youth over their older, more experienced opposition. 

Ranked in no order, these are three underdogs from UFC Perth that you should keep your eyes on

Underdogs at UFC Perth: Gerald Meerschaert

In the star-studded history of the UFC’s middleweight division, Gerald Meerschaert has squeezed out a portion for himself as one of its most credentialed. A tenured member of the organization’s roster since 2016, the Wisconsin native has built a reputation as a feared grappling ace. As of his upcoming bout in Australia, he holds the 185-lb records for most submission wins and finishes in the weight class’s history at 11 and 12 respectively. 

However, with all of these enviable accolades, Meerschaert finds himself a considerable underdog to the much younger Jacob Malkoun, whom he faces next month at UFC Perth. Although not as accomplished inside the Octagon as his American foe, Malkoun brings to the table a bevy of achievements in combat sports, including an ADCC championship and an undefeated record as a professional boxer. Making his way back to action last February following a nearly two-year lay off, “Mamba” bounced back in a big way by handing the then unbeaten Torrez Finney his first defeat. 

At 38-years of age, and coming off of four losses in a row, Meerschaert’s trip to Australia looks to be his swan song as a UFC fighter. It’s especially concerning when factoring into account that he has been beaten inside the distance in three of those tilts, losing to mostly non-ranked opposition. At the outset of the Malkoun pairing, the odds are indeed stacked heavily against Meerschaert, but seeing a plus sign next to his name on the betting lines hasn’t always stopped him from shining as an underdog. 

For long-time followers of the sport, fans will no doubt remember his comeback performances in his battles with Bruno Silva and Edmen Shahbazyan from the past few years. In those scraps, Meerschaert was easily outmatched and bound on a crash course towards defeat, only for him to completely flip the switch and pull off the upset with a highlight-reel submission. 

Underdogs at UFC Perth: Beneil Dariush

At one point in time, it looked as if Beneil Dariush was a mere stone’s throw away from a UFC title shot, having once racked up a phenomenal eight-fight winning streak. Sadly, a first round knockout setback to Charles Oliveira in 2023 kicked off a run of inconsistency that has plagued him ever since, going 1-2 in his last three. Seeking to change his fortunes and return to the victor’s circle, the Californian books his first fight of 2026 at UFC Perth, where he locks horns with Australian prospect Quillan Salkilld. 

Netting his contract with the organization with a thrilling decision triumph over Gauge Young on the Contender Series in 2024, Salkilld dazzled audiences all over the world with a magnificent trio of victories in 2025, including two first round stoppages. It was during his final contest of that year opposite Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 321 that the 26-year old recorded arguably one of the greatest finishes in lightweight history, starching Haqparast with a thudding head kick that immediately put him out cold. 

Although he may be staring down an incredibly talented young phenom who will stop at nothing to take his spot in the 155-lb top 15, Dariush has all the tools as a luminary of the rankings to surprise bettors, such as those who use Norge Casino Hub. For one thing, even though he has lost some pivotal matches in recent years, the Kings MMA product has only been beaten by three of the current top five athletes in the division. In fact, the last time a man without a number next to his name trounced him was all the way back in 2018. 

Underdogs at UFC Perth: Jack Della Maddalena

Surrendering his championship after a lop-sided beatdown to the pound-for-pound apex Islam Makhachev, Della Maddalena is aiming to get back on track in front of his countrymen at the expense of Brazilian juggernaut, Prates. However, given his South American adversaries extensive laundry list of victims inside the UFC Octagon, pundits are skeptical about how well his chin will hold up after just a single round. 

A prodigy of the acclaimed Fighting Nerds gym and one of the most exciting MMA fighters today, Prates has embarked on a warpath through the 170-lb upper echelon after signing with the UFC in 2023. Winning his first four consecutive bouts, “The Nightmare” momentarily had his momentum stymied following a close decision defeat to Ian Machado Garry. Rebounding from the loss, Prates has stitched together two back-to-back wins, knocking out both Geoff Neal and another former champion in Leon Edwards.

With a resume such as Prates’s, it is no wonder why many are writing off Della Maddalena as just another unfortunate soul who will inevitably falter to the Brazilian’s iron-clad fists. But, one should not be in a rush to count him out, as the previous belt-holder holds a few advantages of his own. For starters, his boxing is among the top in the entire promotion, with him boasting a superb 60% striking defense statistic in comparison to Prates, who holds a much lower 47%. His chin also may just be stronger than people think, because in his nine matches in the UFC, he has yet to be dropped by any strike after engaging in entertaining wars with Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad.