Carlos Prates has achieved knockout victories over three fighters who had never been knocked out before facing him. Leon Edwards had never lost by knockout in 28 fights until Prates defeated him. Li Jingliang had never been knocked out in 27 fights before losing to Prates. Jack Della Maddalena had never been knocked out in standup fighting, with his only TKO loss coming from ground-and-pound when fatigued. This statistical achievement highlights Prates' finishing power against opponents with proven durability.
Carlos Prates has carved out a remarkable statistical distinction in the welterweight division, becoming the first fighter to knock out Leon Edwards, Li Jingliang, and Jack Della Maddalena — three opponents who had never previously suffered a knockout defeat before meeting him.
Prates, known as "The Nightmare," carries a 24-7 record and holds the number five ranking in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach and connects on 55 percent of his significant strikes, a finishing-oriented output that has repeatedly exposed opponents considered difficult to stop.
Edwards had gone 28 fights without ever being knocked out before Prates ended that streak. Li Jingliang, the 38-year-old Chinese veteran nicknamed "The Leech," had similarly never been finished by knockout across 27 professional bouts. Li stands six feet tall with a 71-inch reach and averaged 4.46 significant strikes landed per minute throughout his career — a durable, active fighter who had long resisted stoppage. Della Maddalena, the 29-year-old Australian ranked fourth in the division with a 13th-place pound-for-pound standing, had never been dropped by standup striking, with his lone TKO loss on record coming via ground-and-pound while fatigued — a meaningful distinction from a clean knockout on the feet.
Why it matters
- Prates has demonstrated finishing power against opponents with elite chin credentials, which is exceptionally rare in a single fighter's resume
- His 55 percent striking accuracy and a 78-inch reach give him the tools to threaten any standing opponent in the welterweight division
- At ranked fifth in the division, the achievement strengthens his case for a higher-profile welterweight matchup
- Della Maddalena at fourth and Prates at fifth means their matchup already carried divisional weight, with the knockout adding further significance to the result
