Prates dismantles Maddalena with diverse striking, sets up Makhachev bout

Carlos Prates defeated Jack Della Maddalena using superior striking from multiple angles with elbows, knees, and kicks. The analysis notes Maddalena relied too heavily on a boxing guard defense which proved ineffective against Prates' diverse attack, and fought primarily in southpaw stance despite his left leg being previously damaged by Islam Makhachev. Prates badly damaged Maddalena's left side with middle kicks by the second round. The breakdown suggests Maddalena needed to be more aggressive and press Prates against the cage, but lacked the speed and was intimidated after absorbing a knee strike. Regarding a potential Prates vs Makhachev fight, the analysis notes Prates has successfully damaged the lead legs of southpaws like Edwards and Maddalena with low kicks, even scoring a knockout with one. However, Makhachev's high-level striking combined with his wrestling threat could neutralize Prates, especially after grinding him down in grappling exchanges. The post suggests UFC may book Prates against Belal Muhammad first to determine a clear contender.