A detailed fight analysis highlights several key factors in Carlos Prates' victory over Jack Della Maddalena. The analyst notes that Maddalena relied heavily (approximately 90%) on a boxing guard for defense, which proved ineffective against Prates' diverse arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Maddalena fought primarily in a southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged in the Makhachev fight, and when switching to orthodox, Prates targeted his left side with middle kicks. Maddalena lacked the aggression and speed needed to pressure Prates effectively. The post identifies three fighters who had never been knocked out before facing Prates: Leon Edwards (28 fights), Li Jingliang (27 fights), and Maddalena. Regarding a potential Makhachev vs Prates matchup, the analysis notes that as a southpaw, Makhachev could be vulnerable to Prates' leg kicks, which have proven devastating in as few as 4-5 strikes. However, Makhachev's high-level striking and wrestling could neutralize Prates after ground control. The analyst suggests UFC might consider matching Prates against Joaquin Buckley (referred to as Morales) first to determine a clear contender.
