Carlos Prates has achieved multiple unprecedented UFC records in just eight fights, establishing one of the brightest eight-fight runs in promotional history. He reached seven knockout victories faster than anyone in UFC history, surpassing heavyweights like Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez who needed nine fights, and accumulating 14 knockdowns in just 17 incomplete rounds for the highest knockdown rate per 15 minutes ever. Prates also earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights, nearly twice as fast as the average of 15 fights needed by other fighters. He knocked out two former UFC champions back-to-back, both of whom had never been knocked out before, and became the first to finish a recent champion with leg kicks while maintaining peak form. The post suggests his next challenges could come against top contenders like Ian Garry, with Islam Makhachev potentially being the ultimate test, and argues that defeating the top welterweights would establish Makhachev's legacy as potentially surpassing Jon Jones.
Carlos Prates has quietly rewritten the UFC record books across multiple categories in just eight promotional appearances, cementing what may be the most statistically dominant early career run in the organization's history.
The Brazilian welterweight reached seven knockout victories faster than any fighter in UFC history, a benchmark that previously belonged to heavyweights including Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, both of whom needed nine fights to reach that total. Velasquez, a former UFC heavyweight champion who went 14-3 in his career, was long considered one of the sport's most physically imposing finishers. That Prates has eclipsed those marks at welterweight makes the achievement all the more striking.
Prates also accumulated 14 knockdowns across just 17 incomplete rounds, producing the highest knockdown rate per 15 minutes in UFC history. He has earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights, a pace described as nearly twice as fast as the average fighter who typically requires around 15 fights to reach a similar total. Among his victories, he knocked out two former UFC champions in back-to-back fights — both of whom had never previously been stopped by knockout — and became the first fighter to finish a recent champion via leg kicks.
Why it matters
- Prates has set the UFC record for reaching seven knockouts fastest, surpassing former heavyweight champions
- His knockdown rate per 15 minutes is the highest ever recorded in the promotion
- Seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights represents an unprecedented bonus-earning pace
- Potential matchups against top welterweights, including the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov, ranked third at 19-0 and standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, would test whether Prates can translate this record-breaking form against elite competition
