A detailed fight analysis reveals that Jack Della Maddalena relied heavily on boxing-style blocking defense, which proved ineffective against Carlos Prates's diverse striking arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Della Maddalena's block was described as porous, allowing many straight punches through, and he failed to counter-attack explosively or create distance. The analysis noted that Della Maddalena fought primarily in southpaw stance, despite needing to prepare orthodox work after Islam Makhachev targeted his left leg previously. Prates damaged Della Maddalena's left side significantly with mid-kicks, leaving it visibly red by the second round. The post concludes that Della Maddalena lacked the speed and aggression needed, and that Prates's versatility, power, confidence, and ability to use different angles would have overwhelmed him regardless of preparation. The analyst admits to underestimating Prates's all-around striking and mental toughness, describing him as a mix of Alex Pereira and Anderson Silva.
A detailed post-fight breakdown has concluded that Jack Della Maddalena's defensive approach was the central reason for his loss to Carlos Prates, with an analyst dissecting how the Australian welterweight's boxing-centric shell left him exposed to a far more varied attack than he was equipped to handle.
Della Maddalena, 29, carries an 18-4 record and sits fourth in the welterweight rankings, also placing 13th on the pound-for-pound list. Fighting out of Scrappy MMA, the Australian switch-hitter generates an impressive 5.57 significant strikes per minute, making him one of the busier offensive fighters in the division. But the analysis argued that his defensive habits — a tight boxing block — proved porous even against straight punches, let alone kicks, elbows, and knees. According to the breakdown, he fought predominantly in southpaw stance throughout the contest, a strategic question mark given that Islam Makhachev had previously targeted his left leg and presumably demanded some orthodox preparation. Prates exploited that side relentlessly with mid-kicks, leaving Della Maddalena's left flank visibly marked by the second round.
The analyst also noted a failure to counter-attack with urgency or manufacture distance, two habits that compounded the defensive shortcomings. The conclusion was pointed: Prates's versatility, power, and comfort working from multiple angles would have created serious problems regardless of how Della Maddalena prepared.
Why it matters
- Della Maddalena's ranking and pound-for-pound standing make this loss a significant setback in what had been a rapid welterweight ascent.
- The left-leg vulnerability, first identified when Islam Makhachev — the current welterweight champion at 28-1 — faced him, now appears to be a documented pattern opponents will target.
- The analyst's comparison of Prates to a blend of Alex Pereira and Anderson Silva, the legendary 34-11 Brazilian whose 61 percent striking accuracy set a long-standing divisional standard, signals a belief that Prates represents a generational striking threat at 170 pounds.
