UFC fighters analyze Prates' devastating knee strikes against Della Maddalena

Multiple UFC fighters and analysts provided detailed breakdowns of Carlos Prates' exceptional knee strike performance against Jack Della Maddalena. Cory Sandhagen highlighted the unique mechanics of Prates' left knee, noting it wasn't a simple step-in knee but rather utilized a full spring motion that generated exceptional power, and praised how Prates mixed knees with high kicks by wrapping around the head when facing a southpaw. Sandhagen also emphasized Prates' elbow work that broke through Della Maddalena's tight guard, comparing it favorably to his own struggles against Petr Yan's defense. Jorge Masvidal called it some of the best knee work he'd seen in a long time, noting how the threat of knees completely shut down Della Maddalena's body work and close-range boxing, while also discussing the potential challenge Islam Makhachev's elite wrestling could pose. Dean Thomas and Dustin Poirier added observations about Prates' ability to seamlessly blend knees with hand strikes and his fearlessness of takedowns, which allowed him to throw knees more aggressively.