Carlos Prates has achieved seven UFC knockout victories in just eight fights, the fastest in promotional history. This surpasses previous records held by heavyweights like Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez, who needed nine fights. Prates also holds the record for the fastest 14 knockdowns in UFC history, accomplished in only 17 incomplete rounds, giving him the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of fight time. Additionally, he earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses faster than any fighter in UFC history, needing only eight fights compared to the average of 15. He has consecutively knocked out two former UFC champions who had never been knocked out before, including finishing Jack Della Maddalena with low kicks. Analysts suggest that if Islam Makhachev defeats challengers like Ian Garry and Prates, he could rival Jon Jones' legacy, with Shavkat Rakhmonov positioned as the ultimate challenge.
Carlos Prates has etched his name into UFC history, recording seven knockout victories in just eight promotional fights — the fastest any fighter has ever reached that milestone inside the octagon.
The Brazilian welterweight's run eclipses records previously set by heavyweight legends Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez, both of whom needed nine fights to reach seven UFC knockouts. Velasquez, now 43 and retired with a career record of 14-3, was long considered one of the most ferocious finishers the promotion had seen, landing 6.37 significant strikes per minute across his career.
Prates has also compiled the fastest 14 knockdowns in UFC history, doing so across only 17 incomplete rounds, giving him the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of any fighter in promotional history. He claimed seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight outings — a pace that took the average UFC fighter roughly 15 fights to match. Among his victims are two former UFC champions, neither of whom had ever previously been stopped by knockout, with Jack Della Maddalena falling to his devastating low kick assault.
The conversation around the welterweight division has expanded beyond Prates alone. Islam Makhachev, the current champion with a 28-1 record and the number-one pound-for-pound ranking, is being discussed in legacy terms that invite comparison with Jon Jones should he continue to dispatch elite contenders. Among those potential challengers is Ian Garry and, further down the line, Prates himself.
Why it matters
- Prates has rewritten the UFC record books for knockouts and knockdowns at the fastest pace in promotional history
- His finishing of two previously un-knocked-out former champions elevates the quality of his run beyond raw numbers
- Shavkat Rakhmonov, ranked third at welterweight and undefeated at 19-0 with a six-foot-four frame and a 77-inch reach, looms as the division's most formidable long-term test
- Makhachev's handling of the welterweight title picture could define how he is measured against the all-time greats
