Carlos Prates has achieved notable knockout victories over three fighters who had never been knocked out before facing him. Leon Edwards had never lost by knockout in 28 career fights until facing Prates. Li Jingliang had never been knocked out in 27 career fights before 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 demonstrates Prates' exceptional finishing ability and power against durable opponents. The post highlights the historical significance of these achievements in Prates' UFC career.
Carlos Prates has carved out a unique place in UFC welterweight history by becoming the first fighter to knock out three opponents who had each never previously been stopped by strikes: Leon Edwards, Li Jingliang, and Jack Della Maddalena.
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 connects on 55 percent of his significant strikes — a finishing rate that belies a relatively measured output of 3.77 significant strikes per minute.
Edwards had gone through 28 professional fights without ever being knocked out before running into Prates. Li Jingliang, the 38-year-old veteran known as "The Leech," had survived 27 fights without suffering a knockout loss, despite a career built on aggressive exchanges averaging 4.46 significant strikes landed per minute. Della Maddalena, the 29-year-old Australian ranked fourth at welterweight and 13th pound-for-pound, had never been stopped by standup strikes across his career — his only prior TKO defeat came via ground and pound. He stands five-foot-eleven with a 73-inch reach and posts an impressive 5.57 significant strikes landed per minute at 51 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- All three opponents entered their respective bouts with clean knockout records, making each finish a genuine historical first
- The run firmly establishes Prates as one of the most dangerous punchers in the welterweight division despite not holding a top-four ranking
- Prates' 78-inch reach and switch stance give him physical advantages over all three men he stopped
- The combined durability of Edwards, Jingliang, and Della Maddalena across nearly 80 professional fights makes the achievement all the more striking
