Carlos Prates has achieved a rare feat by becoming the first fighter to knock out both Leon Edwards and Jack Della Maddalena. Leon Edwards had never been knocked out in his 28 professional fights before facing Prates. Li Jingliang had also never been stopped by knockout in 27 fights until Prates finished him. Jack Della Maddalena had never been knocked out on the feet prior to the Prates bout, with his only previous TKO loss coming from ground-and-pound while exhausted. The post highlights Prates's exceptional finishing ability against elite competition.
Carlos Prates has carved out a unique place in welterweight history, becoming the first fighter to knock out both Leon Edwards and Jack Della Maddalena across his professional career.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," carries a 24-7 record and is currently ranked fifth in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of Vale Top Team, stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach and fights out of a switch stance. He strikes with efficiency, connecting on 55 percent of his significant strikes — a figure that underlines just how clean his finishing work has been against elite opposition.
The achievement is made more striking by the résumés of his victims. Edwards had gone through 28 professional fights without ever being knocked out before running into Prates. Li Jingliang, the hard-chinned veteran known as "The Leech," had similarly never been stopped by knockout across 27 fights before Prates finished him. Li holds a 19-9 record and, at 38 years old, had long been considered one of the more durable fighters in the division.
Jack Della Maddalena, ranked fourth in the welterweight division and 13th pound-for-pound, had never been knocked out on the feet prior to meeting Prates. The 29-year-old Australian, who trains at Scrappy MMA, owns an 18-4 record and is one of the division's most dangerous strikers, averaging 5.57 significant strikes per minute and landing them at 51 percent accuracy. His only previous TKO loss had come via ground-and-pound while exhausted — a very different kind of stoppage.
Why it matters
- Prates has demonstrated knockout power against three fighters with proven chins, a rare combination in any era
- His wins over Edwards and Della Maddalena carry significant divisional weight, with both men holding top-five welterweight rankings
- At 32, Prates is entering his prime years and sits fifth in a welterweight division with no clear dominant champion
