An extensive tactical analysis examines the critical question of who will press forward in the Della Maddalena versus Prates fight, as both fighters rely on moving forward. Prates has dropped opponents 11 times in the UFC while advancing and rarely retreats except briefly against Neil Magny, needing forward movement to land his powerful left straight. Della Maddalena similarly builds his game on forward pressure and has rarely been seen moving backward. The breakdown highlights that Della Maddalena absorbed over 50 clean straight punches to the head against Belal Muhammad, while Prates only needs one clean shot, as demonstrated when he knocked out Trevin Giles after being outboxed for 1.5 rounds. The analysis notes Della Maddalena's advantage in short-range combination boxing and counter-striking, areas where Prates struggles when opponents smother him with punches. The post references how Ian Garry successfully managed Prates by feeling the left straight on millimeters and maintaining distance with kicks and movement. However, Della Maddalena lacks Garry's speed and kicking arsenal, forcing him to rely primarily on boxing, though he hits harder than Garry. The analyst predicts Della Maddalena will force Prates backward and inflict damage through volume striking, potentially securing a decision or TKO in rounds 3-4.
