Brazilian welterweight Carlos Prates has achieved unprecedented milestones in UFC history through just eight fights. He became the fastest fighter ever to record seven knockout victories in the UFC, accomplishing this feat faster than heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos who needed nine fights. Prates also set the record for fastest to 14 knockdowns, achieving this in only 17 incomplete rounds with the highest knockdown rate per 15 minutes in UFC history. Additionally, he became the fastest to earn seven Performance of the Night bonuses, doing so in eight fights compared to the average 15 fights needed by other fighters. The analysis suggests that if Islam Makhachev defeats Ian Garry, Prates, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, he would surpass Jon Jones in the greatest-of-all-time discussion.
Brazilian welterweight Carlos Prates has carved out a place in UFC history through just eight fights, setting multiple records that span knockouts, knockdowns, and post-fight bonuses.
Prates reached seven knockout victories faster than any fighter in UFC history, surpassing the marks previously set by heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, both of whom needed nine fights to reach that total. Velasquez, now 43, finished his UFC career with a 14-3 record and was renowned for his relentless pressure and elite wrestling, averaging over five takedowns per 15 minutes during his run. Prates also set the record for the fastest fighter to accumulate 14 knockdowns, doing so across just 17 incomplete rounds, and holds the highest knockdown rate per 15 minutes in UFC history. On top of that, he earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight appearances — a milestone that has taken other fighters an average of 15 fights to reach.
The records underline a finishing ability that is historically rare at 170 pounds, a division already stacked with elite talent.
Why it matters
- Prates has established himself as one of the most dangerous finishers in welterweight history based on pace and volume of stoppages.
- The divisional landscape includes unbeaten third-ranked contender Shavkat Rakhmonov of Kazakhstan, who stands six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, carries a 19-0 record, and lands strikes at 60 percent accuracy — a potential future collision course with Prates.
- The analysis referenced in reporting also raises the broader pound-for-pound conversation, noting that a fighter who were to defeat Ian Garry, Prates, and Rakhmonov in succession could enter discussions alongside Jon Jones, whose 28-1 record and 84-inch reach have long anchored greatest-of-all-time debates.
- Prates's record-setting pace gives the welterweight division an urgent new storyline heading into the next phase of the title picture.
