Tactical breakdown: Will Maddalena or Prates fight moving backward?

An in-depth analysis questions whether Maddalena or Prates will be forced to fight moving backward in their upcoming bout, as both fighters typically move forward. Prates has dropped opponents 11 times in the UFC while advancing and rarely moves backward except briefly against Neil. Maddalena similarly builds his game on forward pressure. The analysis suggests if they clash in the center, Maddalena is at risk, having absorbed over 50 clean straight punches from Belal Muhammad, while Prates needs only one to finish fights. Maddalena's advantages include short-range combination boxing and counterstriking, areas where Prates struggles. The breakdown notes that Ian Garry succeeded against Prates by precisely reading his left straight and maintaining distance with kicks and movement. The analyst ultimately picks Maddalena, expecting him to force Prates backward and win by decision or TKO in rounds 3-4.