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

Multiple UFC fighters provided detailed technical breakdowns of Carlos Prates' knee strikes in his recent victory. Cory Sandhagen highlighted Prates' unique spring-loaded knee technique that generated exceptional power without stepping, noting how he transitioned the knee threat into high kicks by wrapping around the head. Sandhagen praised Prates' elbows for breaking through Della Maddalena's defensive guard, comparing it to his own struggles against Petr Yan's blocking. Jorge Masvidal emphasized how Prates' knees covered massive distance and neutralized Della Maddalena's close-range game, calling it Mortal Kombat-level performance. However, Masvidal warned that Islam Makhachev's wrestling could be a nightmare for Prates despite the knee threat. Dustin Poirier and Dean Thomas both noted how seamlessly Prates mixed knees with hand strikes, with Poirier observing that his lack of takedown fear enabled bolder striking.