Analysis: Prates dominated Della Maddalena with kicks, sets up Makhachev fight

A detailed fight analysis reveals that Jack Della Maddalena relied heavily on a boxing guard for 90% of his defensive actions against Carlos Prates, which proved ineffective against Prates's tornado of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. Della Maddalena spent much of the fight in southpaw stance, despite previous leg damage from Islam Makhachev suggesting he should have prepared more orthodox stance work. Prates destroyed Della Maddalena's left side with mid-kicks, leaving it visibly red by the second round. The analysis suggests Della Maddalena's best chance was aggressive first-strike work, keeping Prates on the back foot against the cage, but he lacked the speed and confidence to execute this strategy. Looking ahead to a potential Makhachev vs. Prates matchup, the analyst notes that Prates has successfully destroyed the lead leg of southpaws like Edwards and Della Maddalena, sometimes achieving knockouts with leg kicks within 10-15 strikes. However, Makhachev's high-level striking, ability to disguise takedowns, and ground control could neutralize Prates if he can secure a round of top position. The UFC faces a decision whether to book Prates against Morales first to determine a clear contender.