UFC returns to Australia for UFC Perth at the RAC Arena on Saturday, with a show that puts its focus on the light heavyweight division.
UFC returns to Australia for UFC Perth at the RAC Arena on Saturday, with a show that puts its focus on the light heavyweight division.
After what appeared to be an all-time fall from grace, Dominick Reyes has reemerged as a main-event competitor and is suddenly knocking on the door of another shot at gold, having overcome several setbacks to return to contender status. Carlos Ulberg, on the other hand, has been wrecking shop with consistency, winning eight in a row since his UFC debut. A title shot could've been the next stop for Ulberg had a different result played out when Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira collided for the UFC light heavyweight championship this past March. He'll instead have to get past "The Devastator" first.
Unfortunately, the only fight with real stakes at UFC Perth is, in fact, the main event. There's some good scraps on this card, but not a ton else.
👑 UFC Perth's lineup Crown grade: D. 👑
Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM.
205 pounds: Carlos Ulberg (-275) vs. Dominick Reyes (+210)
In a way, Reyes' rise to his first UFC title shot in 2020 was similar to Ulberg's current ascent. The former collegiate football player entered his infamous clash with Jon Jones as an undefeated 12-0 dynamo, and while he didn't have an expansive résumé that screamed title shot, he was knocking people out in highlight-reel fashion.
Ulberg largely mirrored that description until he took on more experienced opposition in his past two fights. Against former UFC champion Jan Blachowicz and one-time title challenger Volkan Oezdemir, Ulberg won unanimous decisions that showed off a more complete game than in previous affairs against lesser competition. The performances weren't overly entertaining though, which ultimately resulted in Ulberg having to prove himself at least once more with this Reyes bout.
These are two big, long, bruising dudes at 205 pounds. Each possess plenty of knockout power with all eight points of contact, so Saturday very well could come down to who lands first. Reyes' first-round knockout of Nikita Krylov this past April is still wild to me — I wasn't back on the believer train until that win, and considering his stronger level of competition over the years, I think Reyes will prove too much for the surging Ulberg.
Pick: Reyes
205 pounds: Jimmy Crute (-190) vs. Ivan Erslan (+155)
Jimmy Crute is now a submission artist — at least according to his latest performance.
In all seriousness, Crute is always down for a good slugfest, especially in a home game. But his first-round armbar of Marcin Prachnio this past June was mightily impressive, considering the persistence it took to find it. It was the Australian's first win in five (!!!) years, and he'll be as motivated as ever to regain more much-needed momentum at UFC Perth.
On the other hand, Ivan Erslan can play spoiler by scoring his first win in the Octagon. Ion Cutelaba and Navajo Stirling were no slouches for the former KSW light heavyweight's first two outings, but in the type of dirty, ugly fights Crute always initiates, Erslan hasn't succeeded. In enemy territory, this matchup is a tough ask for Erslan, especially if Crute looks to show off more of his improved grappling game.
Pick: Crute
145 pounds: Jack Jenkins (-300) vs. Ramon Tavares (+240)
Jack Jenkins has managed to live the dream in his UFC career thus far, fighting four consecutive times in his home of Australia, including this upcoming clash with Ramon Tavares.
Listen, most Australian fighters love themselves a good scrap. That's not news to anyone. Jenkins is no different and enters this one aiming to rebound after a tough loss to Gabriel Santos in February.
Competition levels have been relatively similar thus far between Jenkins and his opponent, Ramon Tavares. Jenkins has simply shown a more mature, UFC-ready game. Sure, that bar has significantly dropped over the years, but Tavares is still in pursuit of a memorable UFC performance. Unfortunately for him, the Aussie has more tools in his toolbox and will pummel Tavares en route to a win.
Pick: Jenkins
170 pounds: Jake Matthews (-425) vs. Neil Magny (+325)
This fight feels like it was slotted onto UFC Perth fresh out of some parallel universe.
Jake Matthews and Neil Magny have been in the UFC for ages, and yet they've somehow never fought each other. Both are bona fide veterans, and though they're at very different stages of their careers, they're simultaneously both supreme welterweight gatekeepers.
Is this the ultimate gatekeeper-off? The "goatkeeper" championship? I dare say it is, at least at welterweight.
When at his best, Matthews has been a delight to watch. He's just rather inconsistent. Whereas, with Magny, I thought he was as done as dirt ahead of his last fight, then he finished Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.
Matthews has been on a roll, riding a three-fight win streak into UFC Perth. They're both wildly well-rounded fighters, but Matthews carries more of a threat level in all facets at this stage of his career and he's proven far more durable than the 2025 version of Magny.
Pick: Matthews
265 pounds: Justin Tafa (-115) vs. Louie Sutherland (-105)
We're still doing the unranked heavyweights on the main card thing. Why? I wish I could tell you.
Expect the typical, painful sloppiness one can expect from these types of fights, but also from a bombarding Justin Tafa, who tends to take a few shots in order to give anything back. Durability had been a strong suit of Tafa's — until Tallison Teixeira crumbled him in his latest appearance. Only the blood gods know if the same can happen here with the debuting Louie Sutherland, but expect heavy meat hammers to pummel the domes of each man regardless.
The oddsmakers rightfully consider this fight a coin flip, because as competition has increased for Sutherland, he's struggled to win or secure finishes.
Unfortunately, this also has the potential to be a hug-fest snoozer of a decision.
Throw your dart, folks.
Pick: Sutherland
155 pounds: Tom Nolan (-150) vs. Charlie Campbell (+125)
Charlie Campbell may have dodged a bullet by missing out on his UFC 309 fight against Mauricio Ruffy, but a clash with dangerous 25-year-old prospect Tom Nolan could be equally problematic.
A lightweight who stands a staggering 6-foot-3, Nolan entered the UFC with some solid hype before being quickly knocked down a peg courtesy of a Nikolas Motta upset. He's wasted no time getting back on track though, winning three straight and impressing more and more with each performance.
This isn't all said to downplay Campbell. He's a solid prospect as well, and still only 30 years old. But Nolan has seemingly picked up more experience at a quicker rate and learned from the mistakes of his lone career loss to Motta — and, of course, he'll be another of the many fighters at UFC Perth who has the crowd on their side.
Pick: Nolan
Preliminary Notes
Thailand's Loma Lookboonmee has quietly put together a four-fight win streak at strawweight, yet still finds herself counted out and fighting unranked opponents. It's a tough situation for one of the division's true, natural atomweights, though if she continues to grow her win collection, I still believe she'll make that eventual dent many would expect her to if she were able to compete in her proper weight class. Obviously it'd be beneficial if the UFC had a 105-pound division, but that's an entirely different topic.
The aforementioned Stirling is also back in action to close out the UFC Perth prelims, and this fight has all the makings of a coming-out party. He's one of the brighter prospects at 205 pounds, and with an impressive performance on Saturday, a fast track toward contendership could be imminent.
Quick picks:
Navajo Stirling (-250) def. Rodolfo Bellato (+200)
Andre Petroski (-175) def. Cameron Rowston (+145)
Oban Elliott (-125) def. Jonathan Micallef (+105)
Rolando Bedoya (-105) def. Jamie Mullarkey (-115)
Josias Musasa (-150) def. Colby Thicknesse (+125)
Michelle Montague (-250) def. Luana Carolina (+200)
Brando Peričić (-225) def. Elisha Ellison (+185)
Loma Lookboonmee (+200) def. Alexia Thainara (-250)
Category: General Sports
