Carlos Prates defeated Jack Della Maddalena in a decisive victory, showcasing his skills. Belal Muhammad highlighted the key factors that led to Prates' success.
Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
Carlos Prates earned a statement win on Saturday, and Belal Muhammad was quick to point out the key factor that swung the fight in his favour.
The Brazilian stopped Jack Della Maddalena in Perth, putting together a performance that highlighted just how dangerous he can be when he’s dialled in.
Even Islam Makhachev noticed what happened. The welterweight champion took time to acknowledge Prates for getting the better of a man he once shared the cage with.
Prates’ reach advantage turned out to be a real problem for Della Maddalena. That was something Muhammad had seen coming long before they touched gloves.
Speaking with Helen Yee ahead of the fight, Muhammad gave his thoughts on how things might play out, predicting that Prates’ reach would be too much for Della Maddalena to handle this time around.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Jack Della Maddalena was dethroned as welterweight champion in November, losing to Islam Makhachev during the Russian’s first title defence. Makhachev’s wrestling was clearly the difference-maker, but he also found success with his kicks throughout all five rounds.
When discussing ‘The Nightmare’ and the man who took his belt, Belal Muhammad pointed to this aspect of the fight.
“We saw in Jack’s last fight, right? Islam was landing some very good kicks. Low kicks,” Muhammad said in a video on his YouTube channel. “You’ve got to attack the legs, attack the arms, attack the head. I think switching up those kicks, mixing it up. Jack, he has good boxing defence, but he doesn’t really have really good kick defence.
“So, I think for Prates, putting those kicks in and then that’ll make Jack second-guess those punches, right? Because he does get hit a lot, even though it’s boxing. Sometimes he’ll take a punch to get three.”
Belal Muhammad pointed out specific elements that contributed to Prates' victory, emphasizing his performance and strategy.
Islam Makhachev acknowledged Carlos Prates for his impressive win against Jack Della Maddalena, a fighter he previously faced.
The loss may impact Jack Della Maddalena's standing in the welterweight division and raise questions about his future matchups.

See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
The Brazilian varied his attacks well throughout and dropped Della Maddalena several times with precisely timed shots.
Once Della Maddalena’s movement had been badly affected by all of that damage, it didn’t take long before Prates closed out the win. Muhammad ended his breakdown by giving Prates a narrow edge due largely to this aspect of his game.
“Stylistically, I just think that Prates has the advantage. I think the kicks are going to be a huge factor,” he said. “I think Prates’ kicks are going to get him the fight; I think he’s going to win it.”