Carlos Prates has achieved the fastest accumulation of seven knockout victories in UFC history, doing so in just eight fights, surpassing heavyweights Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez who needed nine fights. Out of 2,710 fighters who have competed in the UFC over 33 years, only 62 (2.29%) have achieved seven knockouts, making Prates' speed even more remarkable. He also holds the record for the fastest 14 knockdowns in UFC history, achieved in just 17 incomplete rounds, and the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of fight time. Additionally, Prates earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses faster than anyone in UFC history, doing so in eight fights compared to the average of 15 fights needed by other fighters. The post suggests that if Islam Makhachev defeats Ian Garry and Prates (plus potentially Shavkat Rakhmonov), he would equal or surpass Jon Jones's legacy, fulfilling Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's vision of surpassing American MMA.
Carlos Prates has etched his name into UFC record books by becoming the fastest fighter in the promotion's history to accumulate seven knockout victories, accomplishing the feat in just eight appearances.
The Brazilian welterweight reached that milestone quicker than any of the 2,710 fighters to have competed in the UFC across the organization's 33-year history. For context on how rare the achievement is, only 62 fighters — roughly 2.29 percent of everyone who has ever stepped into the Octagon — have recorded seven knockouts at all. Prates did it faster than former heavyweight champions Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, both of whom needed nine fights to reach the same mark. Velasquez, now 43, finished his career 14-3 and remains one of the most decorated heavyweights in UFC history.
Prates does not stop at one record. He also holds the fastest accumulation of 14 knockdowns in UFC history, reaching that total across just 17 incomplete rounds, and carries the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of fight time in the promotion. On top of that, he earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights — a pace that dwarfs the historical average of 15 fights needed by other fighters to reach that same bonus total.
Why it matters
- Prates has rewritten the UFC's finishing benchmarks in a division — welterweight — traditionally associated with grinding, decision-heavy contests.
- His knockdown and bonus records reinforce that his finishing pace is not a small-sample-size anomaly but a sustained pattern of violence.
- Shavkat Rakhmonov, ranked third at welterweight and undefeated at 19-0, looms as a potential future opponent; a matchup between two unrelenting finishers would carry enormous divisional stakes.
- The records place Prates in a broader conversation about all-time UFC finishers, alongside names like Jon Jones, who at 28-1 has long set the standard for sustained excellence across multiple eras.
