UFC fighters analyze Carlos Prates' devastating knee strikes against DDM

Multiple UFC fighters provided technical breakdowns of Carlos Prates' knee strikes in his victory over Della Maddalena. Cory Sandhagen highlighted how Prates' left knee changed the fight, noting the unique spring-loaded technique that generates exceptional power without stepping, and how he disguised the knee by transitioning it into high kicks. Jorge Masvidal praised how Prates controlled distance with his knees, preventing DDM from working in the clinch or boxing at close range, though he believes Islam Makhachev's wrestling could pose problems. Dustin Poirier noted that Prates showed no fear of takedowns when throwing knees. Dean Thomas observed how Prates effectively mixed his knees with hand strikes, making them difficult to see. All fighters agreed Prates' knee work was at an exceptionally high level and that he broke through DDM's typically solid blocking defense using knees and elbows.