Carlos Prates has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first fighter to knock out three previously undefeated-by-knockout opponents. Leon Edwards had never been knocked out in 28 fights before facing Prates. Li Jingliang had never been knocked out in 27 fights before their matchup. Jack Della Maddalena had never been knocked out standing, with his only TKO loss coming via ground-and-pound when exhausted. Prates' striking precision has ended three different fighters' knockout-resistance streaks.
Carlos Prates has etched his name into the record books by becoming the first fighter in UFC history to knock out three opponents who had each previously never been stopped by strikes.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," carries a 24-7 record and sits ranked fifth in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of Vale Top Team, has built his reputation on surgical striking, connecting on 55 percent of his significant strikes — an unusually high accuracy mark for a volume-capable fighter. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, he generates consistent pressure from the switch stance.
Leon Edwards had never been knocked out across 28 professional fights before Prates ended that streak. Li Jingliang, the 38-year-old Chinese veteran known as "The Leech," carried a 19-9 record and had gone 27 fights without being stopped by strikes. Despite averaging 4.46 significant strikes landed per minute himself and bringing a credible takedown threat at 1.19 per 15 minutes, Jingliang could not withstand Prates either.
The third victim was Jack Della Maddalena, the 29-year-old Australian ranked fourth in the welterweight division and 13th pound-for-pound. Della Maddalena's only prior TKO defeat had come via ground-and-pound rather than a standing finish, making Prates the first to put him away cleanly on the feet. The switch-hitter out of Scrappy MMA lands 5.57 significant strikes per minute with 51 percent accuracy, making the finish all the more notable given how dangerous he is offensively.
Why it matters
- Prates has now finished the second, fourth, and fifth-ranked welterweights or former champions, reshaping the top of the 170-pound division
- His 55 percent striking accuracy across a career spanning 31 fights underscores that his power is paired with precision rather than volume alone
- All three finishes came against switch or orthodox opponents of varying styles, demonstrating he is no one-trick threat
