A detailed analysis of Jack Della Maddalena's loss to Carlos Prates revealed several tactical errors. Approximately 90% of Della Maddalena's defensive actions relied on a boxing guard, which proved ineffective against Prates' diverse arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. The guard was described as porous, allowing many straight punches through, and Della Maddalena failed to counter-attack explosively from the guard or break distance effectively. Surprisingly, Della Maddalena fought predominantly in southpaw stance despite having his left leg damaged by Makhachev in a previous fight, and when switching to orthodox, Prates targeted his left side with middle kicks. The analyst noted Della Maddalena's kicks were slow and weak, preventing him from controlling range. Della Maddalena's best chance would have been aggressive pressure against the cage, but he lacked the speed and was hesitant after absorbing a knee strike. The analysis concluded that Prates' confidence, versatility, and power across all striking weapons would have led to victory regardless of Della Maddalena's strategy. The post also assessed that Prates poses a legitimate threat to Islam Makhachev with his low kicks and knockout power.
A recent breakdown of the welterweight contest between Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates has highlighted several tactical shortcomings from the Australian fighter that, according to the analyst, made the outcome all but inevitable.
The analysis found that roughly 90 percent of Della Maddalena's defensive work relied on a boxing guard that simply could not account for Prates' varied attack. The guard was described as porous to straight punches and offered little protection against the Brazilian's kicks, knees, and elbows. Della Maddalena also failed to respond with sharp counter-attacks or to break distance consistently, leaving him exposed for extended periods.
Compounding the problem, Della Maddalena spent most of the fight in a southpaw stance despite carrying damage to his left leg from his previous outing against Islam Makhachev. When he did shift to orthodox, Prates immediately targeted that compromised left side with middle kicks. The analyst also noted that Della Maddalena's own kicking output was slow and lacked the power needed to establish range control. His best path to success likely would have been relentless cage pressure, but a knee strike early in the fight appeared to knock his confidence and blunt that approach.
Della Maddalena, who holds a 18-4 record and sits fourth in the welterweight rankings at 29 years old, averages an impressive 5.57 significant strikes per minute, but his 51 percent accuracy and near-absent grappling threat — just 0.13 takedowns per 15 minutes — left him limited to pure striking exchanges where Prates held the edge.
Prates, ranked fifth in the division at 32, carries a 24-7 record and a 78-inch reach that gives him a five-inch advantage over Della Maddalena. He averages 3.77 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy across a much wider range of weapons.
Why it matters
- The loss drops Della Maddalena further from title contention in a crowded welterweight division
- Prates moves within striking distance of the top four with a performance that exposed legitimate tactical weaknesses in a highly ranked opponent
- The analyst flagged Prates' low kicks and knockout power as tools that could trouble reigning welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, adding weight to a potential future matchup
