Tactical analysis reveals Della Maddalena's defensive flaws against Prates

A detailed fight breakdown highlights why Jack Della Maddalena struggled against Carlos Prates. Approximately 90% of Della Maddalena's defense relied on a boxing block, which proved ineffective against Prates' diverse arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches. The block was porous, allowing straight punches through, and Della Maddalena lacked the explosive counter-punching ability to punish Prates from defensive positions. Surprisingly, Della Maddalena spent much of the fight in southpaw stance despite his left leg being badly damaged by Makhachev previously, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates destroyed his left side with middle kicks. Della Maddalena's kicks were slow and weak, preventing effective long-range work. His best chance would have been aggressive pressure against the cage, but he lacked the speed, was tentative after taking a knee, and Prates' power, variety, and confidence overwhelmed him. The analyst concludes Prates would have won regardless of Della Maddalena's preparation, comparing Prates to a hybrid of Alex Pereira and Anderson Silva.