Multiple UFC fighters have provided detailed technical analysis of Carlos Prates' knee strikes in his recent performance. Cory Sandhagen highlighted how Prates' left knee changed the fight, noting it wasn't a simple step-in knee but rather delivered with explosive spring-loaded power that snapped the opponent's head back. Sandhagen also praised Prates' ability to transition the knee setup into high kicks that wrapped around the head, exploiting the different shoulder heights when fighting a southpaw. He additionally noted Prates' use of chopping elbows to break through defensive blocks, a technique Sandhagen said his own shoulders can no longer execute. Jorge Masvidal emphasized how Prates' knee threat covered so much distance it effectively shut down the opponent's ability to work the body or box in the clinch, calling it some of the best knee work he'd seen in a long time. Masvidal suggested Prates' length and knee strikes could trouble takedown artists like Makhachev, though he believes Makhachev's wrestling is on another level. Dustin Poirier and Dean Thomas also praised how Prates used knees and elbows to break defensive structures.
