Several prominent UFC fighters offered detailed technical breakdowns of Carlos Prates' knee strike performance against his recent opponent. Cory Sandhagen highlighted Prates' left knee as a game-changing weapon, noting the unique power generated not from stepping but from explosive spring-loaded movement that snapped the opponent's head back. Sandhagen also praised Prates' ability to transition the knee setup into left high kicks that wrapped around the opponent's guard, calling it "mega high level." Jorge Masvidal compared Prates' knees to "Mortal Kombat," emphasizing how the threat alone shut down his opponent's close-range boxing and body work. Masvidal suggested these knees could neutralize wrestlers like Islam Makhachev but acknowledged Makhachev's grappling operates at a different level. Dean Thomas noted the knees were difficult to see because Prates mixed them seamlessly with hand strikes. Dustin Poirier observed that Prates opened up his opponent's guard using knees and elbows, demonstrating no fear of takedowns, which allowed him to throw knees more aggressively.
