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

Multiple UFC fighters provided detailed analysis of Carlos Prates' knee strike technique following his victory over Jack Della Maddalena. Corey Sandhagen praised Prates' unique knee mechanics, noting he generates power by springing upward rather than stepping, and converts the knee motion into high kicks that wrap around the head when facing southpaw opponents. Sandhagen also highlighted Prates' use of chopping elbows to break through Della Maddalena's tight guard, something Sandhagen himself struggled with against Petr Yan. Jorge Masvidal called it 'some Mortal Kombat level stuff' and noted Prates covers exceptional distance with his knees, which forced Della Maddalena to abandon close-range boxing. However, Masvidal warned that if Islam Makhachev secures early takedowns, Prates could face a nightmare scenario. Dean Thomas praised how Prates mixes knees with hand strikes making them difficult to see, while Dustin Poirier noted Prates' fearlessness of takedowns allows him to throw knees more confidently.