Analysis: Prates dominated Della Maddalena with diverse striking, poses threat to Makhachev

A detailed fight analysis reveals that Jack Della Maddalena relied heavily on boxing blocks for defense (nearly 90%), which proved ineffective against Carlos Prates' tornado of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Della Maddalena fought extensively in southpaw stance despite his left leg being damaged in the Makhachev fight, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates punished his left side with middle kicks. Della Maddalena's chance was to be the aggressive first fighter, but he lacked the speed and was intimidated after taking a knee. The analysis suggests Prates is a combination of Poatan and Anderson Silva in terms of universal striking ability. Regarding a potential Makhachev vs Prates fight, the author notes Prates has destroyed the lead legs of southpaws Edwards and Della Maddalena with low kicks, posing a real threat to the also-southpaw Makhachev. However, Makhachev is a high-level striker himself who effectively sets up takedowns, and the question remains whether Prates would maintain his form after being pressured in half guard. The author suggests UFC may consider having Prates fight Moraes first to determine a clear contender.