Analysis: Maddalena vs Prates centers on who will fight going backward

A detailed tactical breakdown explores the UFC Perth main event between Jack Maddalena and Carlos Prates, focusing on the central question of which fighter will be forced to move backward. Prates has dropped 11 opponents in the UFC while moving forward and relies on his left straight, never fighting off the back foot except briefly against Neil Magny. Maddalena similarly builds his game on forward pressure and has rarely been seen retreating. The analysis notes that if both fighters meet in the center, Maddalena faces significant danger from Prates' power, having absorbed over 50 clean head punches against Belal Muhammad. However, Maddalena possesses advantages in short-range combination boxing and counterstriking, areas where Prates struggles when pressured.