A detailed rewatch analysis reveals that Jack Della Maddalena performed approximately 90% of his defensive actions using a boxing block against Carlos Prates, which proved ineffective against Prates' tornado of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Maddalena's block was described as 'leaky,' allowing many straight punches through, and he lacked the explosive countering ability from the block that fighters like Petr Yan possess against Sean O'Malley. Surprisingly, Maddalena fought extensively in southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged by Islam Makhachev previously, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates punished his left side with mid-kicks. Maddalena's best chance would have been aggressive pressure against the cage, but he lacked the speed and was tentative after eating a knee. The analyst concludes that regardless of preparation, Prates would have destroyed Maddalena due to his belief in himself, universality as a striker, and ability to enter a flow state. Regarding a potential Makhachev vs Prates matchup, the analysis notes that Prates destroyed the lead legs of southpaws Edwards and Maddalena in the first round with low kicks, presenting a distance-closing challenge for Makhachev, though questions remain about how Prates would perform after being pressured in half-guard.
