UFC fighters analyze Prates' devastating knee strikes against Della Maddalena

Multiple UFC fighters broke down Carlos Prates' exceptional knee strikes in his victory over Jack Della Maddalena. Cory Sandhagen highlighted how Prates' left knee changed the fight, noting the unique spring-loaded power generation rather than traditional stepping technique, and praised his ability to transition knees into high kicks by wrapping over the head. Jorge Masvidal emphasized how the knee threat alone disabled Della Maddalena's close-range game, calling it some of the best knee work he'd seen in years, though he warned that Islam Makhachev's wrestling would present different challenges. Dustin Poirier noted that Prates opened up Della Maddalena's guard with knees and elbows, pointing out his fearlessness of takedowns enabled bolder striking. Dean Thomas observed how seamlessly Prates mixed his knees with hand strikes, making them nearly invisible.