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Prates (24-7) headlined UFC Perth in enemy territory against Jack Della Maddalena (18-4) on Saturday. Prates chopped at Maddalena’s lead leg early on, which left the Australian nearly unable to move in the later rounds. It was a one-sided beatdown from Prates en route to a third-round stoppage win. Prates also earned his seventh UFC bonus in as many victories.
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Prates largely kept his guard low in his signature fashion, expression zero regard for his opponent’s striking acumen. “The Nightmare” revealed that he had little respect for Maddalena’s power after absorbing the Australian’s first punch. Prates also credits Brazilian lightweight Felipe Douglas for helping him by perfectly mimicking Maddalena during fight camp. After receiving the power from Maddalena, Prates knew that it was everything he had prepared for, and there was no way he would lose. Prates also revealed that he similarly lost respect for Geoff Neal and Leon Edwards’ power after feeling their punches in his last two victories. Prates said at the post-fight media scrum:
“That guy Felipe [Douglas] he helped me a lot,” he admitted. “For me, he is the best lightweight outside the UFC…I felt a punch and I was like, ‘Exactly what we trained for. No way you’re gonna lose today.’…In the beginning of the fight I felt the punch. And then I was like, ‘Man, it’s not gonna knock me out.’ When I fought Geoff Neal, when I fought Leon [Edwards], it was the same. I start the fight with my hands up. And then I got punched, and I was like, ‘Okay, I can do my game.’ Because I like to drop my hands and do some feints.”
Prates has claimed Islam Makhachev will put his welterweight title on the line against Ian Garry at UFC 330 on Aug. 15, but there has been no additional confirmation of that pairing at this time. The Brazilian knockout artist seeks the neck crack at gold, ideally against the winner of that fight.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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