An analyst breaks down the upcoming fight between Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates, describing it as a knockout artist versus a strong boxer. Maddalena's style relies on being the aggressor, and while Prates struggles when pressured, the Australian lacks the kicking and footwork skills that Ian Garry used to control the Brazilian. To win, Maddalena would need to pressure Prates for 25 minutes while maintaining perfect defense, which the analyst considers unlikely given that even Belal Muhammad landed freely on him. Prates remains dangerous until the final seconds, as Garry nearly discovered after dominating four rounds but almost losing in the fifth. The analyst picks Prates to win.
An analyst has released a detailed breakdown of the welterweight matchup between Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates, ultimately siding with the Brazilian to come away with the victory.
Della Maddalena, ranked fourth in the welterweight division and 13th pound-for-pound, enters the fight at 18-4-0. The 29-year-old Australian out of Scrappy MMA is one of the more active strikers in the division, landing 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy. He fights out of a switch stance and carries a 73-inch reach. The analyst frames his gameplan as straightforward: pressure Prates relentlessly for 25 minutes while keeping his defense tight. The concern raised is whether he can actually sustain that approach. Even Belal Muhammad, ranked sixth at welterweight with a 24-5-0 record and a striking accuracy of just 43 percent, was able to land freely on the Australian during their contest.
Carlos Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," holds a 24-7-0 record and sits one spot behind Della Maddalena at fifth in the welterweight rankings. The 32-year-old Brazilian trains out of Vale Top Team, stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, and connects on 55 percent of his significant strikes. The analyst acknowledges that Prates can be troubled by pressure, pointing to his previous fight with Ian Garry as evidence. However, Garry controlled four rounds before nearly being finished in the fifth, underlining just how dangerous Prates remains deep into a fight.
Why it matters
- Both fighters are ranked inside the welterweight top five, making this a direct divisional ladder clash
- Della Maddalena lacks the kicking game and footwork Garry used to neutralize Prates, narrowing his path to victory
- Prates carries knockout threat through the final seconds, complicating any gameplan built around volume and aggression
- The winner would stake a strong claim for a top-three welterweight ranking and potential title contention
