UFC fighters analyze Carlos Prates' devastating knee strikes against Della Maddalena

Multiple UFC fighters provided detailed technical breakdowns of Carlos Prates' knee attack patterns from his victory over Jack Della Maddalena. Cory Sandhagen explained how Prates' left knee changed the fight, noting the Brazilian generates power by springing his entire body rather than simply stepping, and transitions the knee motion into high kicks that wrap over the head. Jorge Masvidal highlighted how Prates covered significant distance with his knees and effectively neutralized Della Maddalena's close-range boxing and clinch work through the constant knee threat, comparing it to "Mortal Kombat level" striking. Masvidal also discussed potential matchup implications with Islam Makhachev, suggesting Prates' knees could stop takedown attempts but that Makhachev's grappling exists in "another stratosphere." Dean Thomas and Dustin Poirier both noted how Prates mixed his knees seamlessly with his hands and that his lack of fear regarding takedowns allowed him to throw knees more confidently.