Carlos Prates has achieved the fastest accumulation of seven knockout victories in UFC history, accomplishing this in just eight fights. Previous record holders were Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, both heavyweights who needed nine fights. Only 62 fighters out of 2,710 in UFC's 33-year history (2.29%) have even reached seven knockouts. Prates also holds the record for fastest 14 knockdowns in UFC history, achieved in just 17 incomplete rounds, and the fastest seven Performance of the Night bonuses. The post notes that Prates knocked out two former UFC champions who had never been knocked out before, including one with leg kicks. The author suggests that if Islam Makhachev defeats opponents like Garry, Prates, and Rakhmonov, he could surpass Jon Jones in legacy.
Carlos Prates has etched his name into the UFC record books, becoming the fastest fighter in the promotion's history to record seven knockout victories, achieving the milestone in just eight fights.
Prates surpassed the previous benchmark held jointly by two heavyweight legends. Junior dos Santos, the Brazilian knockout artist nicknamed "Cigano" who carries a career record of 21-9, and Cain Velasquez, the 14-3 former champion out of American Kickboxing Academy, had each needed nine fights to reach seven KO victories. Prates did it in one fewer appearance, a remarkable distinction given how rare the achievement is across the organization's entire history.
The scale of that rarity is striking: only 62 fighters out of 2,710 to compete in the UFC over its 33-year history — roughly 2.29 percent — have ever reached seven knockouts total. Prates not only joined that group but lapped the field in terms of pace.
The records do not stop there. Prates also holds the mark for the fastest accumulation of 14 knockdowns in UFC history, doing so across just 17 incomplete rounds, and has claimed seven Performance of the Night bonuses faster than any fighter before him. He has also knocked out two former UFC champions who had never previously been finished by strikes, with one of those stoppages coming via leg kicks.
Why it matters
- Prates has rewritten the UFC's all-time pace records for knockouts and knockdowns, previously held by heavyweight icons
- The breadth of the records — KOs, knockdowns, and bonus awards — underlines a level of finishing consistency rarely seen in the sport
- The summary also raises the broader legacy question of whether Islam Makhachev, the current welterweight champion at 28-1 and the promotion's top pound-for-pound fighter, could challenge Jon Jones's historical standing if he continues to defeat elite competition including Prates
