A detailed fight analysis reveals that Jack Della Maddalena used a boxing block for approximately 90% of his defensive actions against Carlos Prates, which proved ineffective against Prates's tornado of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. The block was porous, allowing many straight punches through, and Maddalena couldn't counter-strike explosively from the block position like Petr Yan does. Surprisingly, Maddalena fought mostly in southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged by Makhachev previously, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates destroyed his left side with middle kicks. Maddalena's chance was to be the aggressive aggressor, keeping Prates against the cage, but he lacked the speed and was intimidated, especially after taking a knee. Prates's versatility with elbows, knees, and punches from different angles, combined with his confidence and effective use of reach, overwhelmed Maddalena. The analysis concludes that Prates is a combination of Alex Pereira and Anderson Silva, and discusses potential challenges he could pose to Islam Makhachev, including his dangerous leg kicks to southpaws and knockout power, though questions remain about how Prates would perform after being controlled on the ground.
A detailed post-fight breakdown has exposed the defensive blueprint Jack Della Maddalena brought into his welterweight contest against Carlos Prates — and why it unraveled so completely.
According to the analysis, Della Maddalena relied on a boxing-style block for roughly 90 percent of his defensive actions throughout the fight. That shell proved porous against Prates's multi-weapon attack, regularly letting straight punches through, and Della Maddalena lacked the explosive counter-striking ability needed to make the block a functional weapon in the way fighters such as Petr Yan have. The Australian, now 18-4 and ranked fourth in the welterweight division at 29 years old, is a volume striker who lands 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy, but that output never materialized here.
His stance selection compounded the problem. Della Maddalena fought predominantly southpaw despite carrying damage to his left leg from a prior bout with Islam Makhachev. When he did shift to orthodox, Prates immediately targeted his compromised left side with middle kicks, shutting down that option just as quickly. The analysis suggests Della Maddalena's best path to victory was sustained cage pressure, but he lacked the speed to execute it and appeared rattled after absorbing a knee early in the bout.
Prates, 32, nicknamed "The Nightmare," improved to 24-7 and moved to fifth in the division. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach — five inches longer than Della Maddalena's — the Brazilian from Vale Top Team used his frame and range to dictate distance throughout. His 3.77 significant strikes per minute came from a rotating arsenal of elbows, knees, kicks, and punches thrown from multiple angles, an approach the analysis likens to a blend of Alex Pereira and Anderson Silva.
Why it matters
- Prates's win over a top-five opponent strengthens his case for a welterweight title shot
- Islam Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champion at 28-1, is a southpaw who could be vulnerable to the same leg kick attack that troubled Della Maddalena
- Prates's ground defense against elite grappling remains an open question that any Makhachev matchup would answer
