Carlos Prates has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first fighter to knock out three opponents who had never been stopped by strikes before. Leon Edwards had never lost by knockout in 28 professional fights before facing Prates. Li Jingliang had never been knocked out in 27 career bouts prior to fighting Prates. Jack Della Maddalena had never been knocked out in standup fighting, with his only TKO loss coming via ground and pound when fatigued. Prates finished all three fighters, breaking their knockout-free streaks. This accomplishment highlights Prates' exceptional finishing power and ability to do what no previous opponent could achieve against these durable fighters.
Carlos Prates has carved out a unique place in welterweight history, becoming the first fighter ever to knock out Leon Edwards, Li Jingliang, and Jack Della Maddalena — three opponents who had each previously been considered virtually impossible to stop on the feet.
Prates, known as "The Nightmare," carries a 24-7 record and currently sits ranked fifth in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach and brings genuine finishing power to every performance, connecting on 55 percent of his significant strikes while landing 3.77 per minute.
Edwards had gone through 28 professional fights without suffering a knockout loss before Prates ended that streak. Li Jingliang, the 38-year-old veteran nicknamed "The Leech," had made it through 27 career bouts without being stopped by strikes, averaging 4.46 significant strikes landed per minute himself throughout his career. Della Maddalena, the fourth-ranked welterweight and 13th in the pound-for-pound standings, had never been finished by clean standup striking — his only prior TKO loss having come via ground and pound while fatigued. The 29-year-old Australian out of Scrappy MMA lands a remarkable 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy, making his durability all the more notable.
Why it matters
- Prates has now proven he can crack the chin of elite, proven welterweights who had resisted every previous opponent's finishing attempts
- The accomplishment against three such durable fighters in the same division strengthens his case for a top-contender spot at 170 pounds
- His combination of switch-stance movement and striking efficiency at 55 percent accuracy makes him a stylistically dangerous matchup for any welterweight on the roster
