Carlos Prates has achieved seven knockout victories in UFC faster than anyone in history, accomplishing the feat in just eight fights. The previous fastest were heavyweight fighters Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez, who needed nine fights. Of 2,710 fighters who have competed in UFC over 33 years, only 62 (2.29%) have ever accumulated seven knockouts. Prates also holds the record for fastest accumulation of 14 knockdowns in UFC history, achieving them in 17 incomplete rounds, and the highest average knockdown percentage 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 fights. The post suggests that if Islam Makhachev defeats opponents like Ian Garry, Prates, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, he could surpass Jon Jones in legacy, with Rakhmonov (20-0, 19 finishes) positioned as the "final boss" challenge.
Carlos Prates has rewritten the UFC record books, becoming the fastest fighter in the promotion's history to register seven knockout victories, doing so in just eight appearances inside the octagon.
The Brazilian striker reached the milestone quicker than any of the 2,710 fighters who have competed in the UFC across its 33-year history. Only 62 fighters — roughly 2.29 percent of everyone who has ever stepped into the cage — have accumulated seven knockouts at all. The previous benchmark of nine fights was shared by two heavyweight legends: Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez. Velasquez, now 43, finished his career at 14-3 and remains one of the most decorated heavyweights in UFC history, averaging an extraordinary 5.13 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside his knockout power.
Prates does not stop there. He also holds the record for accumulating 14 knockdowns in the fewest rounds in UFC history, reaching that mark across just 17 incomplete rounds of action. His average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of fight time is the highest the promotion has ever recorded. On top of that, he claimed seven Performance of the Night bonuses in only eight fights — a pace that obliterates the UFC-wide average of 15 fights to reach the same total.
Why it matters
- Prates has established himself as the most statistically dominant finisher in UFC history by multiple knockout-related metrics.
- The record previously held jointly by Cormier and Velasquez belonged to the heavyweight division, making Prates's achievement in a lower weight class all the more notable.
- Speculation is growing around a potential welterweight gauntlet for lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1, ranked number one pound-for-pound), with Prates mentioned alongside Ian Garry and the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0) as possible opponents.
- Rakhmonov, the number-three ranked welterweight out of Kazakhstan, carries 19 finishes from 19 wins and lands strikes at 60 percent accuracy, making him a formidable endpoint to any such sequence.
