UFC fighters analyze Prates' devastating knee strikes against Della Maddalena

Multiple UFC fighters provided detailed technical breakdowns of Carlos Prates' 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 and how Prates converted the knee threat into high kicks that wrapped around his southpaw opponent's elevated shoulder. Sandhagen also praised Prates' chopping elbows that broke through Della Maddalena's defensive block, something Sandhagen himself struggled with against Petr Yan. Jorge Masvidal emphasized how the knee threat alone disabled Della Maddalena's close-range boxing and body work, calling it some of the best knee work he'd seen in years, though he warned that Islam Makhachev's wrestling would present nightmare problems. Dustin Poirier noted how Prates' fearlessness of takedowns allowed him to throw knees more confidently. Dean Thomas observed how well Prates mixed his knees with hand strikes, making them difficult to see coming.