Analysis: Prates overwhelms Maddalena with diverse striking in dominant victory

A detailed breakdown reveals Carlos Prates dominated Jack Della Maddalena by exploiting his defensive weaknesses and overwhelming him with versatile striking. Maddalena relied approximately 90% on boxing blocks for defense, which proved inadequate against Prates' tornado of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Surprisingly, Maddalena fought mostly in southpaw stance despite having his left leg severely damaged by Islam Makhachev previously, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates attacked his left side with middle kicks until it turned red. Maddalena lacked the speed and aggression needed to pressure Prates effectively, while Prates' confidence, power from multiple angles, and ability to use his reach made him untouchable. The analysis suggests Prates would have won regardless of Maddalena's preparation due to his versatile striking and momentum. Looking ahead to a potential Islam Makhachev fight, the post notes Prates has destroyed southpaws' right legs (Edwards, Maddalena) with low kicks and possesses knockout power, creating intrigue. However, Makhachev's high-level striking, wrestling threat, and ability to soften opponents in the ground game present significant challenges. The author suggests UFC may consider matching Prates with Belal Muhammad to determine a clear contender.