Multiple UFC fighters analyzed Carlos Prates' use of knee strikes in his recent victory, with Cory Sandhagen calling them uniquely effective and technically sophisticated. Sandhagen noted that Prates generates power not from stepping but by springing his entire body, and cleverly transitions the knee setup into high kicks that wrap around the opponent's head. He also praised Prates' use of elbows to break through his opponent's guard, something Sandhagen struggled with against Petr Yan. Jorge Masvidal highlighted how the threat of knees alone shut down his opponent's boxing and clinch work, calling it some of the best knee work he'd seen in years. Dustin Poirier noted that throwing knees so freely shows Prates doesn't fear takedowns. The technical analysis focused on how Prates mixes knees with hand strikes to make them less visible, and how this would present challenges for grapplers like Islam Makhachev.
