UFC fighters praise Carlos Prates' devastating knee strikes after victory

Multiple UFC fighters, including Cory Sandhagen, Jorge Masvidal, Dean Thomas, and Dustin Poirier, analyzed Carlos Prates' striking performance, focusing heavily on his knee techniques. Sandhagen emphasized the unique power and mechanics of Prates' lead knee, noting it was not a standard step-in knee but a spring-loaded strike that repeatedly snapped his opponent's head back. He also praised Prates' ability to transition the knee setup into high kicks and his use of elbows to break through defensive guards. Masvidal highlighted how the threat of Prates' knees completely shut down his opponent's ability to work in the clinch or box at close range, comparing the performance to Mortal Kombat and suggesting Prates could trouble wrestlers like Islam Makhachev with those knees during level changes. Thomas noted the knees were well-hidden and mixed seamlessly with punches, while Poirier credited Prates' fearlessness of takedowns as enabling his aggressive knee attacks. The commentary collectively established Prates' knees as one of the most effective and technically impressive weapons seen recently in the UFC.