Carlos Prates has achieved the fastest accumulation of seven knockout victories in UFC history, accomplishing the feat in just eight fights. The previous record holders were heavyweights Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez, who did it in nine fights. Out of 2,710 fighters who have competed in UFC over 33 years, only 62 (2.29%) have ever achieved seven knockouts. Prates also set records for fastest 14 knockdowns in UFC history (17 incomplete rounds) and fastest seven Performance of the Night bonuses (typically requiring 15 fights, but Prates did it in eight). The post notes that Prates has knocked out two former UFC champions who had never been knocked out before. The author suggests that if Islam Makhachev defeats Ian Garry and Prates, he would equal Jon Jones's legacy, and defeating Shavkat Rakhmonov would surpass it.
Carlos Prates has rewritten the UFC record books for knockout efficiency, setting multiple historic marks that place him among the most devastating finishers the promotion has ever seen.
The welterweight contender reached seven knockout victories in just eight UFC fights, the fastest any fighter in the promotion's history has accomplished the feat. The previous benchmark was held by heavyweight legends Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez, who each needed nine fights to reach seven knockouts. Velasquez, now 43 and carrying a career record of 14-3, was long considered one of the sport's most physically imposing finishers, averaging an extraordinary 6.37 significant strikes landed per minute across his career. That Prates eclipsed his record in fewer appearances underscores just how remarkable the Brazilian's run has been.
Prates also set the UFC record for the fastest accumulation of 14 knockdowns, achieving that mark across just 17 incomplete rounds. He additionally claimed the record for the fastest seven Performance of the Night bonuses in UFC history, doing so in eight fights — a benchmark that typically takes fighters roughly 15 appearances to reach. Among the more than 2,710 fighters who have competed in the UFC across 33 years, only 62, representing just 2.29 percent of the total, have ever recorded seven knockouts. Prates also knocked out two former UFC champions who had never previously been stopped in that fashion.
The records arrive at a moment of significant divisional intrigue. The summary notes that if Islam Makhachev were to defeat Ian Garry, Prates, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, he would equal the legacy of Jon Jones, who carries a 28-1 record and is widely regarded as the standard-bearer for all-time UFC greatness. Defeating all three opponents, the argument goes, would place Makhachev's legacy beyond even Jones. Rakhmonov, ranked third in the welterweight division at 19-0 and just 31 years old, represents perhaps the steepest challenge in that sequence.
Why it matters
- Prates is now the fastest fighter in UFC history to accumulate seven knockouts, 14 knockdowns, and seven Performance of the Night bonuses
- Only 62 of 2,710 UFC fighters have ever reached seven knockouts, making Prates part of a 2.29 percent group
- His rise directly intersects with the welterweight and pound-for-pound title picture involving Makhachev, Rakhmonov, and Garry
