An in-depth tactical analysis examines the central question of the Maddalena vs Prates fight: will there be a head-on collision in the center, and if not, who will move backward? Prates has dropped opponents 11 times in the UFC while moving forward and almost never retreats except briefly against Neil Magny. Maddalena similarly is built on forward pressure and has rarely been seen moving backward. The analysis suggests if they meet in the center, Maddalena faces danger as he absorbed over 50 clean head punches from Belal Muhammad and Prates only needs one to finish fights. Maddalena's advantage lies in short combination boxing and counter-striking at mid-to-close range, where Prates struggles. The piece notes Ian Garry's success came from feeling Prates' left straight on millimeters and excellent distance control with kicks and footwork, advantages Maddalena may not possess. The analyst picks Maddalena to force Prates backward and overwhelm him with volume, predicting a decision or TKO in rounds 3-4.
