Carlos Prates has achieved several unprecedented UFC records during his first eight fights in the promotion. He reached seven knockout victories faster than any fighter in UFC history, accomplishing the feat in just eight bouts, surpassing heavyweights Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez who needed nine. Only 62 fighters out of 2,710 in UFC's 33-year history (2.29%) have even accumulated seven knockouts. Prates also recorded 14 knockdowns faster than anyone in UFC history, doing so in just 17 incomplete rounds, and earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in only eight fights when others typically need 15 bouts. He has consecutively knocked out two UFC champions who had never been stopped before. The analysis suggests that if Islam Makhachev defeats Ian Garry, Prates, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, he would equal or surpass Jon Jones' legacy, potentially elevating Russian MMA above American MMA as Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov envisioned.
Carlos Prates has carved his name into the UFC record books at a pace that no fighter in the promotion's 33-year history has matched, with a knockout run through his first eight appearances that has rewritten several long-standing benchmarks.
The Brazilian welterweight reached seven knockout victories faster than any fighter in UFC history, accomplishing the feat in eight bouts. That surpasses heavyweights Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, both of whom required nine fights to hit the same mark. Velasquez, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion who finished his career 14-3, was long considered one of the most devastating finishers the promotion had seen. The fact that only 62 of the 2,710 fighters in UFC history — just 2.29 percent — have ever accumulated seven knockouts underlines how rare Prates' achievement is.
Beyond the knockout tally, Prates also recorded 14 knockdowns faster than any fighter in UFC history, doing so across just 17 incomplete rounds. He has earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight outings, a rate that typically takes fighters closer to 15 bouts to approach. Notably, he has consecutively stopped two UFC champions who had never previously been finished.
Why it matters
- Prates' record-setting pace places him among the most historically significant finishers the welterweight division has ever produced.
- His seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights signals consistent, high-impact performances rather than a single outlier result.
- The analysis also raises broader questions about divisional power, noting that should Islam Makhachev defeat Ian Garry, Prates, and Shavkat Rakhmonov — the undefeated Kazakh ranked third at welterweight with a perfect 19-0 record, a 77-inch reach, and 60 percent striking accuracy — it could position him alongside or beyond Jon Jones in legacy discussions, a prospect that carries significant weight for the trajectory of MMA globally.
