A detailed breakdown of Carlos Prates' victory over Jack Della Maddalena reveals several tactical factors. Maddalena relied heavily on a boxing guard for defense, which proved ineffective against Prates' diverse arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Maddalena fought predominantly in southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged by Makhachev previously, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates damaged his left side with middle kicks. Maddalena's best chance would have been aggressive forward pressure, but he lacked the speed and aggression needed, while Prates showed exceptional confidence and versatility. The analysis suggests Prates' combination of striking from different angles and belief in himself made him overwhelming. Looking ahead to a potential Makhachev vs Prates matchup, the post notes that Prates effectively neutralized the lead leg of southpaws like Edwards and Maddalena, creating intrigue for how Makhachev, also a southpaw, would approach the fight.
Carlos Prates delivered a masterclass in striking versatility to defeat Jack Della Maddalena, and a tactical breakdown of the welterweight bout highlights exactly why the Brazilian known as "The Nightmare" proved so difficult to contain.
Prates, ranked fifth at welterweight, enters the post-fight conversation with a 24-7 record and a striking game built around angles and weapon variety. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach and lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. That combination of length and output made him a persistent threat from every range.
Della Maddalena, the fourth-ranked welterweight and a top-15 pound-for-pound entrant at number 13, came in at 18-4 with an output rate of 5.57 significant strikes per minute — one of the highest in the division. The 29-year-old Australian from Scrappy MMA is a switch-hitter, but the analysis indicates he defaulted to a boxing-heavy defensive shell that left him exposed to Prates' kicks, knees, and elbows. Complicating matters, Della Maddalena spent significant time in a southpaw stance despite carrying damage to his left leg from a prior fight with Islam Makhachev. When he shifted to orthodox, Prates targeted that same left side with middle kicks, keeping the pressure consistent regardless of which stance Maddalena presented.
The breakdown concludes that Maddalena's most viable path would have been sustained forward aggression, but he lacked the speed and urgency to execute it against an opponent showing exceptional confidence and punch-kick combination fluency.
Why it matters
- Prates' ability to attack the lead leg of southpaw opponents raises immediate questions about how champion Islam Makhachev, also a southpaw, would handle those threats
- Makhachev holds a 28-1 record and the welterweight title, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes — a dimension Prates has not yet faced at this level
- The result reshuffles the top five at 170 pounds, with Prates now positioned directly behind Della Maddalena in the rankings entering any future title conversation
