Carlos Prates says he questioned his own confidence before facing Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC.

Prates focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Carlos Prates He needed to rethink his confidence before stepping into the octagon against... Jack Della MaddalenaThe Fighting Nerds smoker faced the former champion in the main event of UFC Perth and handed over one of them greatest performances The turning point in his career came when he knocked out the hometown opponent in the third round, an outcome he had anticipated, although he had doubted it at some point.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, the Brazilian revealed that, in the moments leading up to the fight, he questioned whether he was underestimating his opponent. Prates considered that, being a former champion, the fight could be more balanced and difficult than he anticipated. Even so, inside the octagon, the scenario unfolded exactly as he had initially projected.

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“Sometimes I was alone, thinking about the fight, and I wondered: ‘Hey, maybe I think it’s going to be too easy. Maybe I’m wrong because he’s a former champion, so maybe the fight will be more balanced, a little more difficult.’ But no, it happened exactly as I thought,” he said. Carlos Prates.

Watch Carlos Prates knock out Jack Della Maddalena.

🔥 Carlos Prates'of Jack Della Maddalena'yı bitirdiği anlar!pic.twitter.com/me8l3YCSzl

— Cage Pulse (@Cage_PulseMMA) May 2, 2026

With the victory, Prates reached his 24th career win, maintaining a 100% 'lethality' record in the UFC, with seven knockouts in seven victories. Jack Della Maddalena He suffered his second defeat in the organization and his fourth as a professional.