Belal Muhammad made a highly accurate prediction about how the fight between Carlos Prates and Jack Della Maddalena would unfold. Muhammad advised Prates to attack with low kicks, target the arms, strike to the head including with kicks, similar to how Islam Makhachev fought effectively with leg kicks. He noted that these varied attacks would force Della Maddalena to hesitate before engaging, as Della Maddalena tends to absorb one strike to land three in return but wouldn't want to absorb even one shot from Prates. The prediction proved accurate as Prates dominated the fight. Observers suggested Muhammad should consider a career as an MMA analyst given his fight analysis skills.
Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad turned heads with a pre-fight breakdown of Carlos Prates versus Jack Della Maddalena that proved remarkably on point, drawing widespread praise for his analytical eye in the aftermath of the bout.
Muhammad had laid out a specific game plan he believed would neutralize Della Maddalena: attack with low kicks, target the arms, and mix in head kicks — a multi-layered approach similar to the one Islam Makhachev deployed effectively using leg kicks. The logic was rooted in understanding Della Maddalena's fighting style. The Australian tends to absorb a shot in order to land three in return, but Muhammad argued he would not want to trade freely against Prates given the Brazilian's dangerous and varied striking arsenal. Those varied threats, Muhammad predicted, would force Della Maddalena to hesitate before committing to exchanges. The fight unfolded largely along those lines, with Prates dominating throughout.
Prates, known as "The Nightmare," enters the verified record books at 24-7. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach and is ranked fifth in the welterweight division. He lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, and his physical dimensions give him natural advantages in keeping opponents at range.
Della Maddalena, ranked fourth at welterweight and 13th pound-for-pound, came in at 18-4. The 29-year-old Australian carries a 73-inch reach and generates one of the higher striking outputs in the division at 5.57 significant strikes per minute, though his grappling numbers — just 0.13 takedowns per 15 minutes — confirm he operates almost exclusively on the feet.
Muhammad, the reigning welterweight champion out of Russia's Eagles MMA, holds a 28-1 record and is ranked first pound-for-pound. Following the accuracy of his prediction, observers began suggesting the champion has a future in MMA analysis whenever his fighting days are behind him.
Why it matters
- Prates' dominant performance strengthens his position as a serious welterweight title contender ranked just behind Della Maddalena at fifth
- Della Maddalena drops a significant loss that complicates his path back toward championship contention
- Muhammad's detailed scouting of divisional opponents signals he is studying the welterweight landscape closely ahead of future title defenses
