Breakdown: Maddalena-Prates fight hinges on who controls center of octagon

An in-depth analysis examines the key question in the Maddalena versus Prates fight: whether there will be a head-to-head clash in the center, and if not, who will move backward. Prates has bombs in his hands while Maddalena has high-level combination boxing and works as the aggressor; Prates has dropped people 11 times in the UFC moving forward and rarely retreats. Maddalena also relies on forward movement and we've almost never seen him going backward. If they clash in the center, the analyst gives the edge to Prates since Maddalena absorbed over 50 clean straight punches against Belal, and Prates only needs one. However, Maddalena has an advantage in short-range combination boxing and counter-striking, which could allow him to make Prates retreat and hang on him against the cage. The analyst believes Maddalena can force Prates backward, pour on strikes and cause damage, possibly winning by decision or TKO in rounds 3-4.