A detailed fight analysis reveals that Jack Della Maddalena performed approximately 90% of his defensive actions using a boxing block, which proved ineffective against Carlos Prates's diverse arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. The block was described as porous, allowing many straight punches through, and Maddalena failed to counter-attack explosively from the block like Petr Yan does. Maddalena surprisingly fought extensively in southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged by Islam Makhachev previously, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates damaged his entire left side with mid-kicks. The analyst notes that Maddalena lacked the speed and aggression needed to pressure Prates against the cage. The post concludes that regardless of preparation, Prates would have dismantled Maddalena due to his superior belief, versatility, and use of multiple striking angles. The analysis also discusses potential matchup dynamics between Prates and Makhachev.
