The Daniel Cormier Show - DC REACTS to Carlos Prates BRUTAL TKO win vs. Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth

Summary

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The Daniel Cormier Show — DC REACTS to Carlos Prates' BRUTAL TKO Win vs. Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth

Date: May 4, 2026
Host: Daniel Cormier
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd / Daniel Cormier TV

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Daniel Cormier delivers a passionate, analytical reaction to Carlos Prates’ stunning TKO victory over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth. Rather than opting for a standard event recap, Cormier hones in on Prates’ breakthrough performance, what it means for his career, and how it alters the UFC welterweight title picture. With his signature frankness and insight, DC explores Prates’ evolution, the weaknesses he exposed in Della Maddalena, and what’s next for the division's contenders.

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Key Discussion Points

The Impact of Carlos Prates’ Victory

• Cormier’s Initial Shock: DC admits he expected a tough matchup for Prates but was stunned by the fighter's dominance.
  • "I've never seen Jack get just beat on like that." (03:31)
• Prates is now on “a short list” of fighters worthy of challenging for the UFC championship, thanks to decisive wins over top opponents: Leon Edwards, Jeff Neal, and now Jack Della Maddalena.

Stylistic Matchup and Fight Breakdown

• Expectation vs. Reality:
  • Daniel anticipated Maddalena's style would trouble Prates, but in reality, Prates "had no issues at all." (03:52)
  • Prates showcased improved patience, shot selection, and a terrifying array of knees both to the body and head.
  • DC echoes the broadcast: “It’s almost hard to watch.” (04:43)
• Praise for Prates’ Evolution:
  • "He was more patient than I've seen him fight in a long time, if ever." (04:12)
• Della Maddalena, renowned for his toughness, was “completely overwhelmed and… honestly, superior to him inside the Octagon in Prates.” (05:15)

Performance Under the Spotlight

• Main Event Maturity:
  • “When they hit the main event scene, they have to prove… they're absolutely ready to not only carry a card, but also compete under the spotlight.” (05:41)
  • Cormier compares Prates’ prior struggles against Ian Garry where he "froze," with his latest showing, noting a marked maturation in handling high-pressure settings.

The Changing Narrative Around Prates

• Behavioral Growth:
  • Notably, Prates' infamous pre-fight antics (smoking, off-cage distractions) did not dominate the conversation or social media, suggesting his focus has sharpened.
  • “I didn't see my social channels just flooded with photos of Carlos standing outside of a hotel smoking cigarettes. Maybe they happened. I don't know. I didn't see it.” (07:49)

Prates in the Welterweight Division

• Championship Readiness:
  • Cormier unequivocally states: “He's championship ready, man. He's championship ready right now.” (11:48)
• Division Depth and Title Shot Implications:
  • The division is “so stacked.” While Prates made a massive statement, DC mentions Islam Makhachev believes Ian Garry is still the likely next title challenger.
  • “But if it was to be Prates after that, nobody would complain. Nobody would complain.” (12:15)
  • DC contrasts Prates’ win with Islam’s own over Maddalena: “The way Islam beat Jack was not nearly as impressive as Ricardo’s Prates did the other day… That was crazy.” (12:32)
• Other Contenders:
  • “I'm not ready to say that Michael Morales doesn't deserve a shot, that Ian Garry doesn't deserve a shot. But now I think Prates is right there next to him.” (13:23)
  • If Prates doesn't get the next shot, a fight with Morales makes sense—especially if Ian Garry gets the title bout first.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Prates’ Performance:
  • “That performance told me two things. One, Prates is ready to compete for the UFC Championship. Two, Prates learned.” (05:19)
• On Della Maddalena's Defeat:
  • “You’re watching a former champion… on the receiving end of commentator or a broadcast team saying, it's hard to watch because he's so tough and durable… [but] he was staying in there with a person that was completely overwhelming him." (04:53)
• On Carlos Prates Now:
  • “If that's how Carlos fights from now on… he's huge for the weight class. He's a real issue.” (13:04)
  • “That young man did something so special because of the person he did it to. …I couldn't have imagined that he would have looked that good.” (13:42)

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Carlos Prates’ arrival as a contender: 02:45–05:50
• Breakdown of Prates’ performance and evolution: 03:35–05:49
• Comparison to previous main event (vs. Ian Garry): 05:50–07:30
• Commentary on changing social perception: 07:31–08:00
• Potential title shot and division analysis: 11:40–14:00
• Closing thoughts on Prates, division options: 14:00–15:30

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Final Thoughts

DC wraps the episode applauding Carlos Prates’ ability to deliver under pressure and shift the narrative around his career. He recognizes the welterweight division’s logjam at the top but asserts Prates has proven himself championship-ready, tying the conversation together with admiration and anticipation for what's next:

“Carlos, Protest is the real deal. I couldn't have imagined that he would have looked that good. That's crazy.” (13:42)

Cormier teases upcoming UFC coverage in Newark and encourages fans to spread the word about his show, closing with characteristic warmth and gratitude to his listeners.

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Note:
This summary focuses exclusively on Daniel Cormier’s analysis and reactions relevant to the Prates vs. Della Maddalena matchup, avoiding unrelated ad reads and non-content segments.

Transcript

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[Daniel Cormier]

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And my initial thought was to react to the event as a whole, but then when I thought more about it, I was like, man, you, you react as a whole to things at times, but not when a person has a performance like we saw from Protest yesterday. You know, people start to question whether or not and this is honestly why the fight was more about what he did and what comes next opposed to just what happened inside that octagon yesterday. This is what I mean, right? Carlos Protest has now put himself on a short list of fighters that could potentially fight the champion Islamicacha. Now I'm talking before he goes in there with Jack De La Maddalena. That happens when you've already got a victory over Leon Edwards, right? Whenever you already have beaten guys like Jeff Neal and so many others on your way towards a fight with a former champion in Jack Dela. He's on a short list. He's already close. You beat the former champion in the way that he beat Della Madeleina. Because, guys, that was bad. That was bad. Honestly, when I was watching this thing from afar. I thought to myself, how? Because I've never seen Jack get just beat on like that. But how does Protest went as they were going into the fight? I thought Jack Della Madeleina had a style that would present some real issues for Protest, no issues at all for Carlos. His punching power, his knees, his ability to go first, his calm demeanor. Carlos Protest is a madman. But in that fight, he was more patient than I've seen him fight in a long time, if ever. The way he picked his shots, the way he took his time, the way he just landed all those knees to Della Maddalena, the knees to the body, to the knees, to the head. It was. I heard Paul Felder and Michael Bisping say, it's almost hard to watch. It's almost hard to watch. And you're watching two professional athletes fight. You're watching a former champion in the Octagon fight, a guy that was undefeated forever, has tremendous boxing, and he's on the receiving end of commentator or a broadcast team saying, it's hard to watch because he's so tough and durable. The Adelina I'm talking about that he was staying in there with a person that was completely overwhelming him, and that was honestly superior to him inside the Octagon in Protest. That performance, right? That performance told me two things. One, Protest is ready to compete for the UFC Championship. Two, protest learned. Protest learned. You know, we look at these fighters, old ones, young ones, and when they hit the main event scene, they have to prove to themselves, they have to prove to people that they're absolutely ready to, one, not only carry a card, but also compete under the spotlight of a main event. It's not the same. It's not the same. To be fighting on a card and then walking last or walking second to last, knowing that everybody in the building is there to watch you fight. The first time Protest did that against Ian Garry, he froze. He froze. He did not fight well. And Ian Garry is an absolute stud. I don't care what you might think of him. I don't care if he annoys you. I don't care if you don't like his personality. Ian Garry's an absolute stud. But in that fight, Carlos just looked like he wasn't ready. We had him smoking cigarettes all over the Internet the week in a fight. We had him doing all these things that just didn't seem like he was ready for that spotlight that the main event carried. Not this time, though. Not this time. I don't know if it's become Normal, right? So people aren't as taken aback by protests walking around smoking. The weekend of fights. But I didn't see my social channels just flooded with photos of Carlos standing outside of a hotel smoking cigarettes. Maybe they happened. I don't know. I didn't see it.

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TikTok this time, I saw Carlos protest and Jack Delamana get into it. Jack Della Malena get into it. At the weighins, I saw Protests get worked up. Nothing crazy, though. Going to the Octagon, they looked like they wanted to fight again when the fight was about to start. But then when the fight actually started, I watched him deliver at a level that tells me he's championship ready, dude. Championship ready, man. He's championship ready right now. Here's the issue, though. The weight class is so stacked. The weight class is so stacked. I saw Red Corner MMA ask Islam the other day. People are saying, you're starting your training camp. He said, yeah, it feels like it's going to be Ian Garry. I mean, it feels like it's going to be Ian Garry. But if it was to be protest after that, nobody would complain. Nobody would complain. And I'm going to tell you why. Because we just saw Islam beat Jack Della Madeleina in the way that he did. We saw him dominate Jack De La Maddalena to win the championship. The way Islam beat Jack was not nearly as impressive as Ricardo's protest did the other day. Now, it was impressive. He made it look easy. But that yesterday was crazy. That was crazy. It looked like Della Maddalena didn't belong in there with protest. Now, if that's how Carlos fights from now on, if that's who he is today, a guy that really takes his time, is patient, can pick people apart like that, and he's huge for the weight class. He's a real issue. He's a real issue. I think that yesterday that young man did something so special because of the person he did it to. You can go out there and beat people time and time again, but when you're doing it against someone that has Won a UFC championship that isn't over the hill. Hey, it's a difference, right? If we get a Jack Dela that's 38, 39 years old and he's still fighting and that happens, okay, maybe that's easier to understand. But this is a guy that's still right in the middle of his prime. Protest is older than him, and he went out there and fought the fight of his life in the moment that he needed to. I mean, I was insanely impressed with Protest yesterday. Now, am I ready to put him in there? The circumstances have to be right, but I think he's ready. But I also am not ready to say that Michael Morales doesn't deserve a shot, that Ian Garry doesn't deserve a shot. But now I think Protest is right there next to him. I felt like Protest needed another one going into the deadlam Atlanta Lana fight. Now, I don't believe that. The craziest thing about it, though, guys, is that because of the weight class being what it is, he might have to fight again. And boy, keep your fingers crossed, because if he does, you hope that it's Morales, because you would imagine that Ian, Gary is probably gonna be the one to get the title fight. You can't run him and Gary back too soon. But if it's him and Morales, especially if Ian and Islam are fighting, that'll be a sick. Sick. There'll be a sick pay per view or numbered event is what we're calling it now. But yeah, Carlos, Protest is the real deal. I don't know that I could. I couldn't have imagined that he would have looked that good. That's crazy. He didn't look that good. Guys, I will be in Newark next week. I will be talking to some of the fighters, but not who you think, though. It's crazy. And I got a story for you guys on that next week. So until next time, like, subscribe and tell your friend to tell their friends that DC's got this channel and that we're rocking and rolling forever. Like all eternity. This does not stop. I'm always doing this with you guys. Peace.

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Within probably 10 days, I'd put on £10. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

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