A detailed fight analysis reveals that Jack Della Maddalena relied heavily on a boxing block for defense, which proved ineffective against Carlos Prates' diverse striking arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Della Maddalena fought predominantly in southpaw stance despite having his left leg compromised in a previous fight with Islam Makhachev, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates punished his left side with mid-kicks. The analysis suggests Della Maddalena lacked the speed and aggression needed to pressure Prates effectively. Regarding a potential Makhachev vs Prates matchup, the analysis notes Prates has successfully attacked the lead leg of southpaws like Edwards and Della Maddalena, which could pose problems for the southpaw Makhachev. However, questions remain about whether Prates can maintain his striking effectiveness after being controlled on the ground.
A recent fight breakdown has exposed significant defensive vulnerabilities in Jack Della Maddalena's performance against Carlos Prates, shedding fresh light on how the Australian welterweight was ultimately undone in that contest.
Della Maddalena, 29, carries an 18-4 record and is ranked fourth in the welterweight division, sitting 13th on the pound-for-pound list. Fighting out of Scrappy MMA, the switch-hitter is one of the more prolific strikers in the division, landing 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy. The analysis highlights that despite having his left leg compromised from a prior bout with Islam Makhachev, Della Maddalena spent the majority of the fight in a southpaw stance. When he did transition to orthodox, Prates immediately targeted his left side with mid-kicks, punishing the switch. The breakdown also suggests Della Maddalena's boxing-heavy defensive shell — relying primarily on a traditional block — left him exposed to the full width of Prates' attack.
Carlos Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," is ranked fifth at welterweight with a 24-7 record. The 32-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of Vale Top Team, stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach — the longest of the three fighters discussed — and lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. That diverse arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches consistently found gaps in Della Maddalena's guard throughout the fight.
Why it matters
- Prates has demonstrated a pattern of attacking the lead leg of southpaw opponents, including both Leon Edwards and Della Maddalena.
- Welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, a southpaw who stands 28-1 and averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes, could face similar lead-leg pressure in a hypothetical matchup with Prates.
- The key open question identified in the analysis is whether Prates can sustain his striking output if an opponent with strong grappling controls him on the ground — a concern directly relevant to any potential bout with Makhachev.
