A preview analyzes the upcoming bout between Jack Maddalena and Carlos Prates. The author notes that Maddalena's style works best when pressing forward, and Prates struggles when forced to retreat, similar to his difficulties against Ian Garry. However, Maddalena lacks Garry's kicking and footwork abilities, forcing him to rely on boxing to control distance, which increases risk against Prates' power. The author points out that even if Maddalena wins early rounds, Prates remains dangerous until the final seconds, as demonstrated when he nearly finished Garry in round five despite losing the first four. The only path to victory for Maddalena is to pressure Prates for all 25 minutes while maintaining perfect defensive discipline, which the author considers unlikely. The author ultimately picks Prates to win.
A recent analytical preview of the welterweight matchup between Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates concludes with the author favoring Prates to earn the victory when the two meet.
The piece centers on a stylistic problem for Maddalena. The 29-year-old Australian, who fights out of Scrappy MMA and carries an 18-4 record, is ranked fourth in the welterweight division and thirteenth pound-for-pound. He lands an impressive 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy, and his best work comes when he walks opponents down. The analysis argues that approach puts him on a collision course with danger against Prates, because without the kicking game and footwork of someone like Ian Garry, Maddalena would be forced to rely almost entirely on boxing to control distance.
Carlos Prates, nicknamed The Nightmare, is ranked fifth at welterweight and holds a 24-7 record. The 32-year-old Brazilian, who stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, connects at 55 percent striking accuracy. The preview draws a direct comparison to his bout with Garry, noting that Prates struggled when forced to move backward but nearly finished the fight in the fifth round after losing the first four. That late-round danger, the author argues, makes him a threat for the full 25 minutes regardless of how the early rounds unfold.
Why it matters
- Both fighters sit in the top five of the welterweight rankings, making this a genuine title-eliminator caliber bout
- The stylistic contrast — Maddalena's volume-heavy forward pressure against Prates' reach advantage and one-shot power — creates real risk in either direction
- The author's lone path to a Maddalena win requires flawless defensive discipline across all five rounds, a standard the preview views as difficult to sustain
