Overview
- The former welterweight champion thanked supporters in his first public comments since being stopped by Carlos Prates in Perth.
- Heavy reports he dropped three places in the official rankings to No. 4 at welterweight.
- Prates punished him with leg kicks and elbows before a third-round TKO, underscoring the Brazilian's momentum.
- The UFC has not announced the next welterweight title bout, with only unconfirmed reports linking Islam Makhachev to Prates, Ian Machado Garry, or Michael Morales.
- Della Maddalena previously beat Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland, and Belal Muhammad, but back-to-back defeats now force a rebuild toward contention.