Carlos Prates has achieved a historic feat by becoming the first fighter to knock out Leon Edwards, Li Jingliang, and Jack Della Maddalena. Leon Edwards had never been knocked out in 28 fights before facing Prates, while Li Jingliang had avoided knockout defeats in 27 career bouts. Jack Della Maddalena had never been knocked out in standup fighting, with his only TKO loss coming via ground strikes when he was exhausted. Prates' ability to finish three previously unfinished fighters demonstrates his exceptional knockout power. This accomplishment further establishes his credentials as one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC welterweight division.
Carlos Prates has carved out a unique place in UFC welterweight history, becoming the first fighter to knock out Leon Edwards, Li Jingliang, and Jack Della Maddalena — three opponents who had each resisted that fate across dozens of combined professional bouts.
The achievement speaks directly to the finishing ability of Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare." The 32-year-old Brazilian holds a 24-7 record and is currently ranked fifth in the welterweight division. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, he converts strikes at a 55 percent accuracy rate — an elite number that helps explain why opponents find him so difficult to survive. Fighting out of Vale Top Team, Prates operates from a switch stance that complicates defensive reads.
The significance of each knockout sharpens the accomplishment. Edwards had gone 28 professional fights without being stopped by strikes before Prates ended that streak. Li Jingliang, the 38-year-old Chinese veteran known as "The Leech," had compiled a 19-9 record across 27 bouts without suffering a knockout loss. And Della Maddalena, the 29-year-old Australian ranked fourth at welterweight and thirteenth pound-for-pound, had never been put away by standup striking — his sole TKO defeat had come via ground strikes under exhaustion. Now carrying an 18-4 record, Della Maddalena had shown a 51 percent striking accuracy and a high-volume approach of 5.57 significant strikes landed per minute, yet Prates' 78-inch reach and surgical precision proved to be the difference.
Why it matters
- Prates has now stopped three fighters who combined for nearly 80 professional bouts without a knockout loss, underlining his elite finishing power
- His rise to fifth in the welterweight rankings positions him as a genuine title contender in one of the UFC's most competitive divisions
- The victories over a former champion in Edwards and a top-five fighter in Della Maddalena give Prates arguably the strongest recent resume in the division
