Prates vs. Luque: Who will control center and dictate distance?

The key question in the Luque versus Prates fight is whether there will be a direct clash in the center of the cage, and if not, who will move backwards. Prates has knocked down opponents 11 times in the UFC while moving forward and rarely retreats except against Neil Magny. Luque is similarly built on forward pressure and has rarely been seen backing up. If they meet in the center, Luque faces danger as he absorbed over 50 clean straight punches against Belal Muhammad, while Prates only needs one clean shot as demonstrated by his knockout of Trevin Giles. Luque's advantages include his short-range combination boxing and counterstriking ability, which could trouble Prates at close range where the Brazilian is less comfortable. The analysis suggests Luque will need to make Prates retreat and pressure him against the cage, though this carries risk of getting caught by Prates's left straight or knee. The post favored Luque to force Prates backwards, overwhelm him with strikes, and potentially secure a stoppage in rounds 3-4.