Detailed breakdown reveals Maddalena's defensive flaws against Prates' striking

A comprehensive fight analysis reveals multiple strategic errors in Jack Della Maddalena's approach against Carlos Prates. Maddalena relied heavily on a boxing guard defense, which proved inadequate against Prates' diverse arsenal of kicks, elbows, knees, and punches, with approximately 90% of his defensive actions using this flawed technique. Unlike Petr Yan, who can counter explosively from a guard position, Maddalena passively absorbed strikes without creating distance. Surprisingly, Maddalena fought primarily in a southpaw stance despite his left leg being targeted after the Makhachev fight, and when he switched to orthodox, Prates damaged his left side with mid-kicks. The analysis notes Maddalena lacked the speed and aggression needed to pressure Prates effectively, while Prates demonstrated exceptional confidence, versatility in striking angles, and effective use of his reach. The assessment concludes that regardless of preparation, Prates' momentum, self-belief, and complete striking arsenal would have resulted in victory, describing him as a combination of Alex Pereira and Anderson Silva in terms of style and confidence.