The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to Perth this year with a homegrown talent set to headline the event.
Top ranked UFC welterweight Jack Della Maddalena will take on the fifth-ranked Carlos Prates at RAC Arena on May 2.
The WA-born athlete boasted an 18-fight win streak and was undefeated in the UFC until his meeting with Islam Makhachev in November last year.
The Perth event will mark the fifth time the UFC has been held in the state and for the first time will be held on a Saturday night.
Senior Vice President of UFC Australia and New Zealand Peter Kloczko said he expects a huge demand for tickets and the company’s largest UFC Fight Night viewership across the country.
“Perth, we are taking it to the next level with UFC Fight Night Perth in 2026″ he said.
“This event will mark another step forward for UFC in Australia, continuing to build broader local interest and demand for our sport.
“I want to thank the WA Government and Tourism Western Australia for the special partnership we have built over many years that allow for positive developments such as these”
Sport Minister Rita Saffioti said the return of the event makes Perth the home of the UFC in Australia.
“Western Australians continue to embrace the UFC, which we know is incredibly popular around the world and really puts Perth on the map,” she said.
“Each time the UFC comes to town, we see thousands of visitors travel to our State, injecting millions into our economy and supporting local jobs.
“Broadcast to a massive global audience, this event once again puts Perth on the world stage and reinforces our reputation as a world-class destination for major events.”
According to the state government, Perth is also contracted to host a future UFC pay-per-view event, set to take place next year.
Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said events like UFC Fight Night deliver strong results for Western Australia – filling hotels, supporting local jobs and injecting millions of dollars into the economy through visitor spend.
Tourism WA’s annual report for the 2024-25 financial year, released in September, showed visitor numbers had fallen to 11.7 million from 11.9 million during the previous 12-month period. The tourism body had aimed to draw 12.1 million visitors to the state.
However, the report highlighted the Wallabies-Springboks clash at Optus Stadium, the Perth International Football Cup at HBF Park and UFC 305 at RAC Arena, collectively attracted more than 11,300 out-of-state visitors and generated more than $20 million in visitor expenditure.
The past 12 months have seen a range of major events bring tourists to Perth including last year’s WWE Crown Jewel, also at RAC Arena.
The first Ashes Test between Australia and England late last year brought a host of tourists from the United Kingdom, while the Women’s Asian Cup will kick off on Sunday afternoon when the Matildas take on the Philippines at Optus Stadium.