A tactical breakdown reveals why Carlos Prates dominated Jack Della Maddalena. 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. Della Maddalena's guard had gaps that allowed straight punches through, and he lacked the explosive counter-punching ability from the guard that fighters like Petr Yan possess. The analyst was surprised that Della Maddalena fought extensively in southpaw stance despite his left leg being damaged in the Makhachev fight, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates punished his left side with body kicks. The breakdown suggests Della Maddalena needed to pressure Prates aggressively and keep him against the cage, but lacked the speed and aggression to execute this strategy. Prates' belief in himself, use of diverse angles, and ability to leverage his reach made him nearly impossible to overcome. Regarding a potential Makhachev vs Prates matchup, the analysis notes that Prates has destroyed the lead legs of southpaws like Edwards and Della Maddalena, potentially creating problems for Makhachev's distance management.
