Analysis: Prates overwhelmed Maddalena with versatile striking arsenal

A detailed analysis of the Prates vs. Maddalena fight reveals that Maddalena relied heavily on boxing blocks for defense (approximately 90% of defensive actions), which proved ineffective against Prates's tornado of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Maddalena surprisingly fought mostly in southpaw stance despite his left leg having been damaged in the Makhachev fight, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates punished his left side with middle kicks. Maddalena's chance was to be an aggressive pressure fighter, but he lacked the speed and was intimidated, especially after taking a knee. The analyst notes that Prates's belief in himself, use of different angles, and ability to strike effectively with all weapons makes him extremely dangerous. For a potential Makhachev vs. Prates fight, the analysis notes that Prates has already damaged the lead legs of southpaws Edwards and Maddalena with 4-5 leg kicks in round one, and can finish with 10-15. However, Makhachev is also a high-level striker who hides his takedowns well, and the question is whether Prates can maintain his effectiveness after being pressured in half-guard.