Carlos Prates has achieved several unprecedented statistical milestones in UFC history. He is the fastest fighter ever to accumulate 7 knockout victories, doing so in just 8 fights, surpassing even heavyweights like Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez who needed 9 fights. Only 2.29% of all UFC fighters (62 out of 2,710) have ever achieved 7 knockouts. Prates also holds the record for fastest to 14 knockdowns in UFC history, accomplishing this in just 17 incomplete rounds, giving him the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of fight time. Additionally, he earned 7 Performance of the Night bonuses faster than any fighter in history, needing only 8 fights compared to the average of 15. The analysis describes this 8-fight run as one of the top 3 most explosive starts in UFC history. Prates has finished two former UFC champions who had never been knocked out before, with one succumbing to leg kicks. The post suggests that if Islam Makhachev defeats Ian Garry and Prates, he would equal Jon Jones' legacy, and surpass it with an additional win over Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Carlos Prates has rewritten the UFC record books across multiple statistical categories, cementing an eight-fight run that ranks among the most explosive starts in the promotion's history.
The Brazilian welterweight reached seven knockout victories in just eight UFC appearances, a pace never before seen in the organization. Even decorated heavyweights known for their finishing ability could not match it — Cain Velasquez, the 43-year-old former champion who stands six-foot-one with a 77-inch reach and a career record of 14-3, needed nine fights to hit that mark, as did Junior Dos Santos. Across all 2,710 fighters who have competed in the UFC, only 62 — roughly 2.29 percent — have ever reached seven knockouts at all.
Prates also owns the record for reaching 14 knockdowns fastest, doing so across just 17 incomplete rounds, giving him the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of any fighter in UFC history. On top of that, he collected seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights; the average fighter has needed 15 appearances to reach the same milestone. Two of his victories came against former UFC champions who had never previously been knocked out, with one of those finishes delivered via leg kicks.
Why it matters
- Prates has finished two former champions who entered the fight never having been stopped, underlining the range of his finishing arsenal
- His knockdown rate per 15 minutes is unmatched in UFC history, making him statistically the most prolific finisher by pace the promotion has ever seen
- The summary also raises the broader legacy question of what a single fighter — identified as Islam Makhachev — would need to achieve to equal or surpass Jon Jones, the 38-year-old all-time great who carries a 28-1 record, an 84-inch reach, and a striking accuracy of 58 percent; victories over both Prates and Ian Garry, plus Shavkat Rakhmonov — the undefeated 19-0 Kazakh ranked third at welterweight — would be required to enter that conversation
