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

Multiple UFC fighters provided detailed technical analysis of Carlos Prates' knee strike performance against Jack Della Maddalena. Cory Sandhagen highlighted that Prates' left knee changed the fight, noting it wasn't a simple step-in knee but rather generated power through a full body spring motion that snapped Della Maddalena's head back. Sandhagen also praised Prates' ability to transition the knee setup into high kicks by wrapping over the head due to Della Maddalena's southpaw stance raising his shoulder level. Jorge Masvidal emphasized how Prates' knees covered exceptional distance and neutralized Della Maddalena's close-range boxing and body work, calling it some of the best knee work he'd seen in a long time. Masvidal noted Prates' length gives him tools to stop wrestlers like Islam Makhachev when they change levels, though he acknowledged Makhachev's grappling is on another stratosphere. Dustin Poirier observed that Prates broke through Della Maddalena's guard using knees and elbows, and that his willingness to throw knees without fearing takedowns allowed him to attack more confidently. Dean Thomas noted how well Prates mixed his knees with hand strikes, making them difficult to see and preventing Della Maddalena from entering boxing range.