UFC Perth Takes Major Hit Less Than 2 Weeks Before Jack Della Maddalena Return Fight

Next weekend’s UFC Fight Night card in Perth, Australia has reportedly lost one of its scheduled bouts.

Set to take place at the RAC Arena on May 2, this year’s edition of UFC Perth will see Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena return for the first time since losing his welterweight title to take on Carlos Prates in the night’s main event.

The card features plenty of other Australian talent outside of Della Maddalena, but Australian MMA reports that Jack Jenkins has unfortunately suffered an injury and has withdrawn from his featherweight matchup with Marwan Rahiki.

Jack Jenkins Withdraws From UFC Perth Due To Injury

A former Eternal MMA featherweight champion, Jenkins won six-straight fights to earn a shot at a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022.

The Australian punched his ticket to the UFC with a third-round finish of Emiliano Linares on DWCS and made his promotional debut the following year at UFC 284, where he took a unanimous decision over Don Shainis. “Phar” followed that up with a split decision over Jamall Emmers before he closed out the year with a loss to Chepe Mariscal at UFC 293.

Jack Jenkins (red gloves) prepares to fight Chepe Mariscal (not pictured) during UFC 293 at Qudos Bank Arena. | Jasmin Frank-Imagn Images

Jenkins stopped Herbert Burns (brother of recently-retired former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns) in his only outing of 2024 and was submitted by Gabriel Santos in his next bout at UFC 312, but he returned to the win column by taking a unanimous decision over Ramon Taveras his most recent fight last September.

Marwan Rahiki Added To Undefeated Record In UFC Debut

Also a contract winner on DWCS, Rahiki earned his invitation to the UFC by stopping Ananias Mulumba with strikes in October.

The win over Mulumba extended Rahiki’s professional record to 7-0 and also maintained his 100% finishing streak. “Freaky” has only gone past the second round once in his professional MMA career, and he earned a "Fight of the Night” bonus for a promotional debut in March that saw him defeat Harry Hardwick via corner stoppage before the third round could begin.

Marwan Rahiki defeated Ananias Mulumba on Dana White's Contender Series. | (Ken Hathaway/MMA Junkie)

The UFC would be hard-pressed to find a replacement opponent for Rahiki on less than two weeks’ notice, and for now UFC Perth is left with a total of 11 fights after it also recently lost a scheduled heavyweight matchup between fan favorite Tai Tuivasa and Sean Sharaf.

UFC Perth Fight Card

Main Event: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates

Co-Main Event: Beneil Dariush vs. Quillan Salkilld

Tim Elliott vs. Steve Erceg

Shamil Gaziev vs. Brando Pericic

Junior Tafa vs. Kevin Christian

Jacob Malkoun vs. Gerald Meerschaert

Cam Rowston vs. Robert Bryczek

Kody Steele vs. Dom Mar Fan

Jonathan Micallef vs. Themba Gorimbo

Colby Thicknesse vs. Vince Morales

Wes Schultz vs. Ben Johnston

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