Analysis: Will Maddalena or Prates retreat in anticipated striking clash?

A detailed breakdown examines the central question of the Maddalena vs Prates fight: whether there will be a head-to-head clash in the center of the cage, and if not, who will go backwards. Prates has knocked people down 11 times in UFC while moving forward and rarely retreats except for brief moments with Neil Magny. Maddalena's style is also built on moving forward, having almost never been seen retreating. The analysis suggests that if they clash in the center, the odds favor Prates because Maddalena absorbed over 50 clean straight punches from Belal Muhammad, while Prates only needs one to finish. Maddalena's advantage lies in short combination boxing and counterstriking at mid-to-close range where Prates is weaker. Ian Garry's success against Prates came from his ability to feel the left straight on millimeters and his size, speed, lead hand, high kick volume, and safe distance control. The analysis concludes by picking Maddalena to force Prates backwards and potentially stop him in rounds 3-4.