A detailed re-watch analysis of the Prates vs Della Maddalena fight reveals several key factors in Prates's victory. Della Maddalena relied approximately 90% on a boxing guard for defense, which proved ineffective against Prates's tornado of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches, and he could not counter-punch explosively from the block like Petr Yan does. Surprisingly, Della Maddalena fought mostly in a southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged by Makhachev previously, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates battered his left side with middle kicks until it was visibly red. Della Maddalena's chance was to be the aggressive aggressor and pin Prates against the cage, but he lacked the speed and was too cautious, especially after taking a knee. The analysis suggests Prates would have demolished Della Maddalena regardless of preparation due to his belief, versatility, and ability to strike powerfully from all angles. Regarding a potential Makhachev vs Prates fight, the post notes that Prates destroyed the lead legs of southpaws Edwards and Della Maddalena with low kicks, potentially knocking out with 10-15 kicks, but questions whether Prates would remain the same after being pressured in half-guard for a round by the high-level striker and grappler Makhachev.
A detailed re-watch breakdown of Carlos Prates's victory over Jack Della Maddalena has surfaced, dissecting why the Brazilian welterweight was so comprehensively dominant on the night.
Prates, ranked fifth at welterweight and known as "The Nightmare," improved to 24-7-0 with the win. The 32-year-old from Brazil fights out of a switch stance and carries a 78-inch reach — among the longest in the division — which he uses to land significant strikes at a rate of 3.77 per minute with 55 percent accuracy. His attack draws from every range: kicks, elbows, knees, and punches deployed in combination.
Della Maddalena, 29, entered the fight ranked fourth in the division and 13th pound-for-pound, carrying a 18-4-0 record for Scrappy MMA. The Australian is primarily a striker, averaging 5.57 significant strikes per minute, but the analysis points to a critical defensive flaw: he relied on a boxing guard roughly 90 percent of the time, a shell that offered little protection against Prates's diverse kicking game. Unlike a fighter such as Petr Yan, Della Maddalena lacked the explosive counter-punching ability to make that guard work offensively.
Compounding the problem, Della Maddalena fought predominantly in a southpaw stance despite carrying damage to his left leg from a prior fight with Islam Makhachev. When he shifted to orthodox, Prates immediately targeted that compromised limb with repeated middle kicks until the leg was visibly marked. The analysis argues Della Maddalena's best path was relentless forward pressure to pin Prates on the cage, but he was too cautious — particularly after absorbing a knee — and lacked the speed to execute it consistently.
Why it matters
- Prates's win moves him to fifth in the welterweight rankings, tightening the picture behind champion Makhachev
- The stylistic breakdown raises questions about how other boxing-heavy welterweights would fare against Prates's multidimensional attack
- The analysis notes Prates has damaged the lead legs of southpaw opponents Leon Edwards and Della Maddalena with low kicks, flagging that threat ahead of any potential meeting with Makhachev, himself a southpaw and the reigning welterweight champion at 28-1-0
- Whether Prates could maintain his striking output after sustained grappling pressure from a high-level wrestler like Makhachev remains the central open question
