Multiple UFC fighters offered detailed breakdowns of Carlos Prates' exceptional knee strike performance in his recent victory. Cory Sandhagen highlighted that Prates' left knee was the fight-changing weapon, noting how Prates generates power not by stepping but by explosively springing upward, and how he cleverly transitions the knee setup into left high kicks that wrap around the opponent's head. Sandhagen also praised Prates' use of chopping elbows to break through his opponent's defensive block, something Sandhagen struggled with against Petr Yan. Jorge Masvidal emphasized how the threat of Prates' knees completely shut down his opponent's ability to work the body or box in the clinch, calling it "some Mortal Kombat level" performance and one of the best knee strike displays in recent memory. Dean Thomas noted how well Prates disguises his knees within his hand combinations, making them difficult to see and defend. Dustin Poirier observed that Prates used knees and elbows to crack his opponent's guard, and his fearlessness of takedowns allowed him to throw knees more aggressively.
