UFC fighters analyze Prates's devastating knee strikes against Della Maddalena

Multiple UFC fighters provided technical breakdowns of Carlos Prates's knee strikes in his victory over Jack Della Maddalena. Cory Sandhagen highlighted Prates's unique spring-loaded knee technique that generated exceptional power without a traditional step, and praised how he transitioned the same motion into high kicks that wrapped around the opponent's head when facing a southpaw. Jorge Masvidal noted how the knee threat completely neutralized Della Maddalena's close-range boxing and body work, calling it some of the best knee work he'd seen in years, while also cautioning that Islam Makhachev's elite wrestling could pose problems. Sandhagen also credited Prates's elbows for breaking through Della Maddalena's tight guard, comparing it favorably to his own struggles against Petr Yan's similar defense. Dustin Poirier and Dean Thomas both emphasized that Prates's fearlessness about takedowns allowed him to throw knees more aggressively, with Thomas noting how well Prates disguised the knees within his hand combinations.