A detailed breakdown examines the critical question of who will move forward in the Maddalena vs. Prates matchup, as both fighters are built around forward pressure. Prates has dropped opponents 11 times in the UFC while moving forward and rarely retreats, needing to advance to land his left straight. Maddalena also builds his game on forward movement and has never been seen retreating significantly. The analysis notes Maddalena's vulnerability, having absorbed over 50 clean head punches against Belal Muhammad, while Prates only needs one shot to finish. Maddalena's advantage lies in short combination boxing and counter-striking, areas where Prates struggles at mid-close range. The piece references Ian Garry's success in feeling and avoiding Prates' left straight on millimeters, suggesting Garry's experience against southpaws helped him. Despite the puzzle, the analyst favors Maddalena to force Prates backward and win by decision or TKO in rounds 3-4.
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