A detailed fight analysis reveals that Jack Maddalena relied almost 90 percent on boxing blocks for defense against Carlos Prates, which proved ineffective against Prates's diverse arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Maddalena fought primarily in southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged in his previous fight with Makhachev, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates targeted his left side with mid-kicks, leaving it visibly red by the second round. The analyst notes that Maddalena lacked the speed and aggression needed to pressure Prates effectively and couldn't establish his own rhythm. Prates demonstrated exceptional versatility, striking from multiple angles with elbows, knees, and punches, maintaining confidence throughout and effectively using his reach advantage. The analysis concludes that Prates would have likely won regardless of Maddalena's preparation, comparing him to a combination of Alex Pereira and Anderson Silva. Regarding a potential Islam Makhachev matchup, the post notes that Prates destroyed the lead legs of southpaws Leon Edwards and Maddalena within the first round, presenting a legitimate threat with low kicks and counter strikes, though questions remain about how Prates would handle Makhachev's wrestling pressure.
