Carlos Prates has achieved unprecedented knockout victories over three previously undefeated-by-knockout opponents. Leon Edwards had never been knocked out in 28 professional fights before facing Prates. Li Jingliang maintained an undefeated-by-knockout record through 27 fights until his encounter with Prates. Jack Della Maddalena had never been knocked out on the feet before fighting Prates, with his only TKO loss coming via ground-and-pound when exhausted. This streak highlights Prates' exceptional finishing ability against durable opponents who had withstood knockout attempts throughout their careers. The post emphasizes the historic nature of these accomplishments.
Carlos Prates has carved out a remarkable place in welterweight history, becoming the first fighter on record to score knockout victories over Leon Edwards, Li Jingliang, and Jack Della Maddalena — three opponents who had each gone their entire careers without previously being stopped by strikes in that fashion.
Prates, known as "The Nightmare," carries a 24-7 record and holds the number five ranking in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach and connects on 55 percent of his significant strikes — an accuracy figure that helps explain how he has repeatedly solved opponents considered nearly impossible to finish clean.
Edwards, a former welterweight champion, had gone 28 professional fights without a knockout loss before Prates ended that streak. Li Jingliang, the durable 38-year-old Chinese veteran nicknamed "The Leech," had similarly survived 27 fights without being stopped by punches or kicks. And Della Maddalena, the 29-year-old Australian ranked fourth in the division with a 73-inch reach and an aggressive output of 5.57 significant strikes per minute, had never been knocked out on the feet — his only prior TKO defeat coming via ground-and-pound rather than a clean standing finish.
Why it matters
- All three victims were regarded as exceptionally durable, making the streak genuinely unprecedented in the division
- The accomplishment reinforces Prates as a legitimate finishing threat despite sitting fifth in the welterweight rankings
- Della Maddalena is currently ranked fourth and holds a top-13 pound-for-pound position, so the win carries significant ranking weight
- The pattern raises Prates' profile as one of the most dangerous knockout artists in a stacked 170-pound division
