Multiple UFC fighters provided technical breakdowns of Carlos Prates' knee strike effectiveness against his opponent DdM. Cory Sandhagen highlighted that Prates generates power not through stepping but by springing his entire body upward, and noted how he transitions the knee threat into high kicks that wrap over the head, a technique requiring exceptional skill against southpaws. Sandhagen also praised Prates' use of chopping elbows to break through DdM's guard, something Sandhagen himself couldn't achieve against Petr Yan. Jorge Masvidal emphasized how the knee threat alone disabled DdM's offense, preventing him from working the body or boxing in the clinch, calling it some of the best knee work he's seen in years. Dustin Poirier noted that Prates mixes knees seamlessly with his hands, making them difficult to see, and observed his fearlessness of takedowns allows him to throw knees more freely. Analysts discussed how Prates' length and knee arsenal could challenge grapplers, though Masvidal suggested Islam Makhachev's wrestling would present serious problems.
