Analysis questions who retreats first in Maddalena vs Prates striking battle

An in-depth analysis examines the central question of the Maddalena versus Prates fight: whether there will be a head-on collision in the center of the octagon, and if not, who will move backward. Prates has knocked down opponents 11 times in the UFC while moving forward and rarely retreats except against Neil. Maddalena similarly is always the aggressor and has never been seen backing up significantly. The analysis notes that if they clash in the center, Maddalena is at risk, having absorbed over 50 clean straight punches from Belal Muhammad, while Prates only needs one clean shot. The piece highlights Maddalena's advantage in short-range combination boxing, an area where Prates struggles, as shown against Giles and Garry. Ian Garry's success came from his ability to read the left straight from Prates and maintain distance through superior footwork and volume striking. The analyst ultimately picks Maddalena to force Prates backward and win by decision or TKO in rounds 3-4.