Prates Shocks Edwards With a Thunderous KO at UFC 322
What happened at UFC 322 almost didn’t feel real in the moment. Leon Edwards — a former champion, a man who had never been knocked out in his entire MMA career — was suddenly lying on the canvas, stunned, because Carlos Prates had just delivered one of the most brutal finishes of the year. And honestly, the way it unfolded felt both completely out of nowhere and somehow inevitable at the same time.
So here’s how it went down.
The fight started slowly. The first round was quiet, almost too quiet for the stakes involved. Edwards actually seemed to have the upper hand early on, but he didn’t create any real damage. It felt like he was testing Prates, feeling out the timing, trying to keep things controlled. Meanwhile, Prates stayed patient, even throwing a deadpan Jim Halpert-style stare into the camera when Edwards landed a few harmless shots from behind. It was one of those small moments that said a lot — Prates wasn’t rattled, not even a little.
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But everything changed in the second round.
Both fighters were on their feet, Prates standing southpaw, watching, waiting. Then, in a blink, he launched a clean and devastating left hand. It landed flush. Edwards went crashing backward, clearly hurt, and the entire mood inside the arena flipped instantly. Prates didn’t hesitate — he followed him to the ground, delivered another sharp left, and that was it. A career-first knockout loss for Leon Edwards, and a career-defining victory for Carlos Prates.
This win wasn’t just big — it was historic for Prates. It marked his sixth knockout since early 2024, more than anyone else in the UFC during that stretch. And if you look at his recent record, it’s becoming clear why fighters don’t want to trade blows with him. Out of his last 12 fights, 11 have ended with him celebrating a KO or TKO. Even Geoff Neal, who had never been knocked out before facing him at UFC 319, fell victim to a spinning back elbow that looked like something straight out of an action movie.
After the fight, Prates didn’t hold back. He openly criticized Edwards’ grappling strategy, saying fans pay to watch violence and blood, not slow, boring wrestling exchanges. And whether you agree with him or not, he certainly delivered the violence he promised.
Prates also made his ambitions very clear. He said he wanted to return to the Octagon later that same night to stare down the winner of the Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev welterweight title fight. It was bold. But after a finish like this, it’s hard to blame him for dreaming big.
Now the big question is what UFC CEO Dana White thinks — because Carlos Prates just made it impossible to ignore him anymore.
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