Jack Della Maddalena stated that he expects to finish Carlos Prates in the fifth round of their upcoming welterweight bout. Della Maddalena praised Prates' resume, which includes serious victories and knockout finishes, predicting an exciting fight. He expects an aggressive opening with little feeling-out process, saying both fighters will immediately engage in striking exchanges to test each other. After the initial action, Della Maddalena believes they will settle into a strategic five-round distance fight.
Jack Della Maddalena has gone on record predicting he will stop Carlos Prates in the fifth round when the two welterweights meet in their upcoming bout.
Della Maddalena, ranked fourth at welterweight and thirteenth pound-for-pound, enters the fight at 18-4-0. The 29-year-old Australian out of Scrappy MMA has built his reputation as one of the division's most dangerous strikers, averaging 5.57 significant strikes landed per minute at 51 percent accuracy. He fights out of a switch stance and stands five-foot-eleven with a 73-inch reach.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," is ranked fifth at welterweight and holds a 24-7-0 record. The 32-year-old Brazilian represents Vale Top Team and brings his own switch-stance striking game into the fight, standing six-foot-one with a notably longer 78-inch reach and posting a 55 percent striking accuracy rate. Della Maddalena acknowledged Prates' resume directly, citing his serious victories and knockout finishes as reasons to expect an entertaining contest.
Despite his late-fight prediction, Della Maddalena does not anticipate a slow start. He indicated both men will immediately engage in striking exchanges rather than spend time feeling each other out, with the early rounds serving as a test of each fighter's offensive output. He expects the fight to then settle into a more measured, strategic affair across the full five rounds before he closes it out late.
Why it matters
- A fourth-versus-fifth welterweight matchup with direct title-contention implications for the winner
- Both fighters are switch-stance strikers with high finishing rates, setting up a technically complex stand-up battle
- Della Maddalena's fifth-round call signals confidence in his cardio and long-game strategy against a bigger, longer opponent
