UFC fighters analyze Carlos Prates' devastating knee strikes against Jack Della Maddalena

Multiple UFC fighters provided technical breakdowns of Carlos Prates' knee strike performance against Jack Della Maddalena. Cory Sandhagen highlighted how Prates generated exceptional power by springing his entire body rather than just stepping, and noted how he transitioned the knee threat into high kicks that wrapped over the head due to the southpaw stance. Sandhagen also praised Prates' elbows that broke through Della Maddalena's guard, comparing it favorably to his own struggles against Petr Yan's defense. Jorge Masvidal called it "Mortal Kombat level" work and one of the best knee performances in recent memory, noting how the knee threat completely shut down Della Maddalena's close-range boxing and body work. However, Masvidal suggested Islam Makhachev's wrestling would pose serious problems for Prates. Dean Thomas and Dustin Poirier added observations about how well Prates mixed his knees with punches and how his lack of takedown fear enabled bolder striking.