Analyst questions who will fight moving backward in Maddalena-Prates bout

A technical breakdown of the Maddalena vs Prates fight highlights a critical question: will either fighter be willing to move backward? Prates has dropped opponents 11 times in the UFC while moving forward and rarely retreats except for brief moments against Neil Magny. Maddalena similarly has built his entire style around moving forward and has almost never been seen retreating. If both refuse to back up and meet in the center, the analyst suggests the odds favor Prates. Maddalena absorbed over 50 clean straight punches against Belal Muhammad, and Prates only needs one to end the fight. However, Maddalena has advantages in short-range combination boxing and counter-striking, which could allow him to pressure Prates against the cage. The analyst notes that Ian Machado Garry succeeded against Prates partly due to his exceptional ability to read the Brazilian's left straight, likely from extensive sparring with southpaws. Maddalena lacks Garry's kicking arsenal and will need to rely primarily on boxing.