Carlos Prates has achieved a unique feat by becoming the first fighter to knock out three previously undefeated strikers. Leon Edwards had never been knocked out in 28 professional fights before facing Prates. Li Jingliang had never suffered a knockout loss in 27 fights prior to meeting Prates. Jack Della Maddalena had never been knocked out in standup fighting, with his only TKO loss coming from ground-and-pound when he was exhausted. This remarkable sequence highlights Prates' exceptional knockout power and ability to finish opponents who had previously proven extremely durable.
Carlos Prates has carved out a place in combat sports history by becoming the first fighter ever to knock out Leon Edwards, Li Jingliang, and Jack Della Maddalena — three opponents who had each proven virtually impossible to stop before crossing paths with the Brazilian.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," carries a 24-7 record and currently sits fifth in the welterweight rankings at 32 years old. The Vale Top Team product stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach and fights out of a switch stance, landing significant strikes at 55 percent accuracy — a figure that underscores the clean, precise nature of his finishing power.
Edwards had gone through 28 professional fights without ever being knocked out, a testament to his durability at the championship level. Li Jingliang, the 38-year-old orthodox striker known as "The Leech," had similarly avoided a knockout loss across 27 professional bouts, landing significant strikes at a rate of 4.46 per minute himself. Della Maddalena, the 29-year-old Australian ranked fourth in the welterweight division and thirteenth pound-for-pound, entered with an 18-4 record and had never been stopped by strikes while on his feet — his only prior TKO defeat coming from ground-and-pound in a moment of exhaustion rather than clean standup power.
Why it matters
- All three victims were considered elite-level durable strikers, making the shared knockout thread historically significant
- The sequence elevates Prates into serious welterweight title contention given his current ranking of fifth in the division
- His 78-inch reach and switch-stance movement present a distinctive puzzle that some of the division's most proven chins could not solve
- Della Maddalena's ranking at fourth and P4P thirteenth means the finishing run has direct implications for the welterweight top five
