Carlos Prates has achieved multiple historic UFC milestones in record-breaking fashion. He is the fastest fighter in UFC history to record seven knockout victories, doing so in just eight fights, surpassing heavyweights like Dos Santos and Velasquez who needed nine. Only 2.29% of all UFC fighters (62 out of 2,710) have ever accumulated seven knockouts. Prates also holds the record for fastest to 14 knockdowns in UFC history, achieving this in just 17 incomplete rounds, with 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. The post notes he knocked out two former UFC champions who had never been knocked out before, and positions a potential fight with Islam Makhachev as historically significant.
Carlos Prates has cemented his place in UFC history as the most prolific knockout finisher the promotion has ever seen through eight fights, with multiple records now bearing his name.
Known as "The Nightmare," Prates is ranked fifth in the UFC welterweight division at 32 years old. The Brazilian fighter out of Vale Top Team stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach and carries a professional record of 24-7. His seven UFC knockout victories came faster than any fighter in promotion history, eclipsing heavyweights like Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, who each required nine fights to reach that mark. Fewer than three percent of all UFC fighters — just 62 out of 2,710 — have ever recorded seven knockouts in the organization. Prates also owns the record for fastest to 14 knockdowns in UFC history, accumulating that total across just 17 incomplete rounds, and he leads all fighters in average knockdowns per 15 minutes. His seven Performance of the Night bonuses arrived in only eight appearances, well ahead of the historical average of 15 fights to reach that same milestone. Among his finishes, Prates knocked out two former UFC champions who had never previously been stopped by strikes.
The welterweight champion on the other side of a potential matchup is Islam Makhachev, the 34-year-old Russian southpaw who trains with Eagles MMA. Makhachev holds a 28-1 record and is currently the UFC welterweight titleholder. He averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands significant strikes at a 58 percent accuracy rate, making him one of the most complete fighters in the sport.
Why it matters
- Prates has now established statistical benchmarks that reframe him as one of the most dangerous finishers in UFC history, not just in welterweight
- A matchup with Makhachev would carry enormous historical weight given the finishing records and contrasting styles involved
- The style collision — Prates as a high-volume switch-stance striker averaging 3.77 significant strikes per minute against Makhachev's elite grappling and control game — sets up one of the most compelling stylistic contrasts the division has seen
