Tactical breakdown: Who retreats first in Maddalena vs Prates fight?

A detailed tactical analysis explores the central question of the Maddalena versus Prates matchup: will there be a head-on collision in the center, and if not, who will retreat? The piece notes Prates has dropped opponents 11 times in the UFC while moving forward and rarely goes backward except briefly against Neil. Maddalena similarly built his game on forward movement and has never been seen retreating significantly. The analysis examines defensive vulnerabilities, noting Maddalena absorbed over 50 clean straight punches against Belal Muhammad, while Prates only needs one clean shot. Ian Garry's success against Prates is attributed to his exceptional ability to read the left straight punch, superior footwork, and diverse kicking game. The analyst suggests Maddalena's path to victory requires forcing Prates backward with aggressive combination boxing while avoiding the Brazilian's powerful counters, ultimately predicting a Maddalena decision or TKO in rounds 3-4.