Detailed Breakdown: Prates Defeats Della Maddalena, Makhachev Matchup Analyzed

A detailed analysis reveals that Jack Della Maddalena performed nearly 90% of his defensive actions using a boxing block against Carlos Prates, which proved ineffective against Prates' tornado of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Della Maddalena fought extensively in southpaw stance despite previous issues with leg kicks from Islam Makhachev, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates targeted his left side with middle kicks. The analyst notes that Della Maddalena's chance was to be aggressively first, keep Prates on the back foot against the cage, but he lacked the speed and aggression needed. Regarding a potential Makhachev vs Prates matchup, the analysis suggests Prates destroys the lead leg of southpaws within 4-5 low kicks and can knock opponents out with 10-15, evidenced by his knockout of Della Maddalena. However, Makhachev's high-level striking, ability to disguise takedowns, and ground control could neutralize Prates. The piece suggests UFC might consider having Prates fight Shavkat Rakhmonov first to determine a clear contender, which would create an extremely dangerous bout for fans.