Carlos Prates has achieved multiple historic UFC milestones in just eight fights. He recorded the fastest accumulation of seven knockout victories in UFC history, accomplishing this feat faster than heavyweights Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez who each needed nine fights. Only 2.29% of fighters (62 out of 2,710) in UFC's 33-year history have reached seven knockouts at all. Prates also achieved the fastest 14 knockdowns in UFC history across just 17 incomplete rounds, establishing the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of fight time. Additionally, he earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses faster than anyone, requiring only eight fights compared to the average of 15 fights. The post describes Prates' eight-fight run as one of the top three most dominant stretches in UFC history, noting he consecutively knocked out two former UFC champions who had never been finished before. The analysis suggests a potential matchup with Islam Makhachev would be historically significant.
Carlos Prates has carved his name into UFC history books across multiple statistical categories, with an eight-fight run that places him among the most devastating finishers the promotion has ever seen.
The Brazilian knockout artist reached seven UFC knockout victories faster than any fighter in the organization's 33-year history. To put that in perspective, former heavyweight champions Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez — two of the most feared strikers the heavyweight division has produced — each needed nine fights to reach the same milestone. Dos Santos, standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, and Velasquez, who landed an extraordinary 6.37 significant strikes per minute across his career, represent the previous gold standard for early knockout accumulation. Prates surpassed them both in fewer appearances.
Beyond the knockout record, Prates also delivered 14 knockdowns across just 17 incomplete rounds, establishing the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes in UFC history. He earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in only eight fights, a pace that more than doubles the UFC average of 15 fights to reach the same total. Remarkably, only 62 fighters out of 2,710 in UFC history — just 2.29 percent — have reached seven knockouts at all.
Analysts placing his eight-fight stretch among the top three most dominant runs in UFC history have also highlighted that he consecutively finished two former UFC champions who had never previously been stopped.
Why it matters
- Prates has rewritten multiple UFC finishing records that had stood for years against heavyweight legends
- His knockdown rate and bonus pace suggest a finishing efficiency with no clear historical parallel
- A potential future matchup with pound-for-pound number one and welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, who carries a 28-1 record and averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes, would pit historically elite finishing power against one of the sport's most complete champions
