Analysis: Prates dominates Maddalena, poses threat to Makhachev

A detailed analysis of Carlos Prates' victory over Jack Della Maddalena reveals several key factors. Maddalena relied too heavily on a boxing guard defense against Prates' diverse striking arsenal of kicks, elbows, and knees, which proved ineffective. Surprisingly, Maddalena fought primarily in a southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged by Makhachev previously, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates punished his left side with middle kicks. Maddalena lacked the aggression and speed needed to pressure Prates, who was too confident and versatile in his striking. The analysis suggests Prates would have won regardless of Maddalena's approach. Looking ahead to a potential Makhachev bout, the post notes that as a southpaw, Makhachev could be vulnerable to Prates' devastating leg kicks that have finished southpaws like Edwards and Maddalena. However, questions remain about whether Prates could maintain his striking effectiveness after being ground-controlled for a round. The UFC must decide whether to have Prates face Shara Magomedov first or save him for Makhachev.