Carlos Prates has achieved the fastest accumulation of seven knockout victories in UFC history, reaching the milestone in just eight fights—faster than any fighter including heavyweights Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, who did it in nine. Only 2.29% of all UFC fighters (62 of 2,710) have ever recorded seven knockouts in the organization. Prates also holds the record for fastest accumulation of 14 knockdowns in UFC history, achieving this in just 17 incomplete rounds, and the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of fight time. Additionally, he earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses faster than any fighter in history, doing so in eight fights compared to the typical average of 15 fights. Prates has consecutively knocked out two former UFC champions who had never been knocked out before. The analysis suggests that if Islam Makhachev defeats Ian Garry, Prates, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, he would equal or surpass Jon Jones' legacy, with Rakhmonov (20-0, 19 finishes) identified as the ultimate challenge.
Carlos Prates has carved his name into UFC record books with a knockout streak that no fighter in the promotion's history has matched for speed, a statistical analysis confirmed ahead of his next scheduled appearance in May 2026.
Prates reached seven UFC knockout victories in just eight fights, eclipsing every previous benchmark including those set by former heavyweight champions Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos, both of whom needed nine fights to hit the same mark. Velasquez, now 43, finished his UFC career with a 14-3 record and was one of the most physically dominant heavyweights of his era. The fact that Prates surpassed him in a lighter weight class underscores just how rare this finishing pace truly is. Only 62 of the 2,710 fighters ever to compete in the UFC — roughly 2.29 percent — have recorded seven knockouts inside the organization.
The records extend beyond raw knockout totals. Prates also owns the fastest accumulation of 14 knockdowns in UFC history, reaching that number across just 17 incomplete rounds, along with the highest average knockdown rate per 15 minutes of fight time in the promotion. He earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights; the typical UFC fighter requires around 15 appearances to collect the same number. Two of those finishes came against former UFC champions who had never previously been stopped by strikes.
Why it matters
- Prates is statistically the most prolific finisher by pace in UFC history, ahead of heavyweights typically expected to dominate knockout metrics
- His seven Performance of the Night bonuses in eight fights reflect consistent, highlight-reel destruction rather than a single outlier performance
- The analysis frames a potential future path through Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov, with Rakhmonov — undefeated at 19-0 with 19 finishes, ranked third at welterweight, six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach — identified as the most formidable test on that road
- If Islam Makhachev were to defeat Prates, Garry, and Rakhmonov in succession, the analysis suggests it would place his legacy alongside or beyond that of Jon Jones, who holds a 28-1 record with a career striking accuracy of 58 percent across a dominant run at light heavyweight
