Multiple UFC veterans have analyzed Carlos Prates' striking performance, particularly his knee and elbow techniques that dismantled his opponent's defense. Cory Sandhagen highlighted Prates' unique spring-loaded knee strikes that generated exceptional power without traditional step-ins, noting how he seamlessly transitioned from knee threats to high kicks that wrapped around the opponent's head. Jorge Masvidal compared the performance to "Mortal Kombat," emphasizing how the knee threat alone neutralized his opponent's close-range boxing and body work, while also speculating that Islam Makhachev's wrestling could pose problems for Prates. Dustin Poirier and Dean Thomas both noted how Prates mixed his knees with hand strikes to make them nearly invisible, with Thomas specifically crediting this mixing for preventing his opponent from entering boxing range. Sandhagen also praised Prates' use of slicing elbows to break through his opponent's tight guard, a technique Sandhagen couldn't employ against Petr Yan due to his own shoulder flexibility limitations.
