Carlos Prates has achieved several unprecedented UFC milestones in just eight fights. He reached seven knockout victories faster than anyone in UFC history, accomplishing this feat even quicker than heavyweights like Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos who needed nine fights. Prates has also recorded 14 knockdowns in under 17 full rounds, the highest rate per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC history, and earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses faster than any fighter ever—in 8 fights compared to the average of 15 for other fighters. The analysis suggests this represents one of the top three most impressive eight-fight stretches in UFC history. The post notes that Prates has finished two former UFC champions who had never been knocked out before, and positions him as a potential historic challenge for Islam Makhachev. It suggests that victories over Ian Garry, Prates, and Shavkat Rakhmonov would potentially elevate Makhachev to Jon Jones' level of greatness.
Carlos Prates has carved out a place in UFC record books across his first eight octagon appearances, with newly surfaced statistical analysis revealing just how extraordinary his run of finishes has been.
The Brazilian welterweight reached seven knockout victories faster than any fighter in UFC history, surpassing former heavyweight champions Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, both of whom needed nine fights to hit that same mark. Prates has also recorded 14 knockdowns in fewer than 17 full rounds of action — the highest knockdown rate per 15 minutes in UFC history — and collected seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights, a pace that dwarfs the historical average of roughly 15 fights for other fighters who reach that same bonus total.
The analysis also highlights that two of Prates's finishes came against former UFC champions who had never previously been knocked out, underscoring the quality of opposition he has dismantled along the way.
Islam Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champion, sits at number one in the pound-for-pound rankings with a 28-1 record and brings an elite grappling base to go with 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and a 58 percent striking accuracy. A potential matchup with Prates is framed within a broader conversation about Makhachev's legacy, with the analysis suggesting that wins over Ian Garry, Prates, and Shavkat Rakhmonov could push the Russian champion into the conversation alongside Jon Jones in terms of all-time greatness.
Rakhmonov, the third-ranked welterweight from Kazakhstan, remains undefeated at 19-0 and brings his own finishing credentials, connecting at 60 percent striking accuracy and adding 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes to a well-rounded threat profile.
Why it matters
- Prates's record-setting bonus pace and knockout rate signal a historically rare finisher operating in the welterweight division
- His ability to stop previously unbeaten knockout resistances raises the ceiling of his divisional threat level
- A future title challenge against Makhachev would pit the UFC's most prolific knockout artist against its most dominant champion
