Jack Della Maddalena says losing his welterweight title to UFC great Islam Makhachev was a haunting experience, but a few days eating his way through New York helped shake off the disappointment.
Della Maddalena is back in action on Saturday night when he headlines Perth's UFC Fight Night with a battle against Carlos Prates (23-7) at RAC Arena.
A win would thrust Della Maddalena back in the welterweight title challenger conversation, while a loss would see him fall down the pecking order.
Della Maddalena was riding high in May, 2025 when he upset Belal Muhammad to win the welterweight crown.
But the West Australian's reign was short lived, with Della Maddalena outgrappled by the master in a humbling loss to future hall of famer Islam Makhachev.
"It haunted me for a few nights, for sure," Della Maddalena said of that loss at New York's Madison Square Garden.
"It wasn't the best performance. We had to go back, look what went wrong, and fix those things.
"Some technical things didn't go my way in the fight ... not being able to implement those techniques to get back to the feet.
"I guess more footwork (was needed), and probably just being more calm.
"I think I was just too emotional going into it, but they're the things you sort of take away, come back better."
So what did Maddalena do to flush out that disappointment?
"I just ate a lot of pizza in New York," Maddalena said.
"I enjoyed New York City. I just sort of ate my way through the city and then got home.
"I was a bit sad when I got home, but that's the sport. That's what makes winning so good, is the potential of losing."
There will be plenty of Australian talent on Saturday's main card.
Rising lightweight star Quillan Salkilld will co-headline the event when he takes on veteran Beneil Dariush, while hometown hero Steve Erceg will be aiming to make it two wins in a row when he faces Tim Elliott in a flyweight battle.
Heavyweights Tai Tuivasa (versus Louie Sutherland) and Brando Pericic (versus Shamil Gaziev) are other Australians on the main card, but Della Maddalena's battle with Prates trumps all.
Prates is the No.5 ranked challenger in the welterweight division and is hoping a win on Saturday night will thrust him into the title picture.
The 32-year-old Brazilian has racked up an impressive 18 knockouts from his 23 MMA victories and looms as a big danger to Della Maddalena.
