Carlos Prates has achieved the fastest accumulation of seven knockout victories in UFC history, reaching the milestone in only eight fights. This surpasses previous records held by heavyweight fighters Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, who needed nine fights. Prates has also set the record for the fastest accumulation of 14 knockdowns in UFC history, accomplished in just 17 incomplete rounds, giving him the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of fight time. Additionally, he earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights, nearly twice as fast as the average 15 fights needed by other fighters. The post notes that only 2.29% of UFC roster fighters (62 out of 2,710) have achieved seven knockouts in their careers. Prates recently knocked out two former UFC champions who had never been knocked out before, including one who was finished with leg kicks.
Carlos Prates has etched his name into the UFC record books, becoming the fastest fighter in promotional history to collect seven knockout victories, reaching that milestone in just eight appearances.
The Brazilian welterweight, known as "The Nightmare," carries a 24-7 record and currently sits ranked fifth in the division. At 32 years old, the six-foot-one southpaw-switch hitter out of Vale Top Team possesses a 78-inch reach and has posted a striking accuracy of 55 percent across his UFC run. His finishing ability has proven almost singular — only 62 of the 2,710 fighters on the UFC roster have ever reached seven career knockouts in the promotion, representing just 2.29 percent of the entire fighter pool.
Prates also holds the record for the fastest accumulation of 14 knockdowns in UFC history, doing so across only 17 incomplete rounds, giving him the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of any fighter in promotion history. He has also earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in those same eight fights — a pace nearly twice as fast as the promotional average of 15 fights for that same haul. Among his recent victories, he stopped two former UFC champions who had never previously been knocked out, one of them finished by leg kicks.
The previous benchmark of seven UFC knockouts in nine fights was shared by two heavyweight legends. Junior dos Santos, nicknamed "Cigano," compiled a 21-9 record across a lengthy career, standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach and landing 4.49 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy. Cain Velasquez, the former dominant heavyweight champion from American Kickboxing Academy, went 14-3, standing six-foot-one with a 77-inch reach and posting a remarkable 6.37 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy, supplemented by 5.13 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Prates has surpassed two heavyweight all-time greats to set this record as a welterweight, underscoring the rarity of his finishing pace
- His ranking of fifth at 170 pounds places him firmly in title contention territory
- The combination of knockout power, finishing variety, and consistent bonus performances makes him one of the division's most compelling figures
