Li Jingliang returned to the cage at UFC 305 to face Carlos Prates, who had not even made his UFC debut during Jingliang’s last fight.
Prates, Brazil’s newest welterweight prospect, had won both of his UFC fights and his last nine fights overall, with eight consecutive knockouts in that time. This fight also took place on his birthday. On the other side was “The Leech,” China’s longest-serving UFC fighter of all time, who had been on an equal footing with wins and losses since 2019.
The left-handed Prates looked bigger and longer than the Leech in the cage. Carlos stalked forward with his left hand ready to throw, but mainly attacked with leg kicks as they felt each other out. With two minutes left in the first round, Carlos Prates threw one of his first powerful punches that dropped Jingliang to his knees. It was a lightning knockdown at best, but first blood went to the Brazilian.
Carlos slowly released his hands but remained on the defensive while Li tried to break through his guard with combinations. With thirty seconds to go, Prates dropped Leech and then again ten seconds later. Li got back up immediately, however, and met fire with fire. In the final seconds, he charged forward and hit his opponent’s chin, but was once again rocked himself.
After being hurt multiple times in the first round, it was to be seen if Jingliang’s team would change their plans. Leech started the round aggressively while Prates tried to back him into the fence and land low kicks. Prates shook him again at one point and then landed a half-foot head kick that Li somehow survived. Thirty seconds later, another left put Leech down.
Jingliang got back up and hung on the ropes, but the one-hitter quitter soon came. Li Jingliang was finished by punches for the first time ever and it took him almost a full minute to regain consciousness after such a brutal knockout.
With such a spectacular knockout and an undefeated UFC record of 3-0, Carlos Prates can certainly count on a seeded opponent in his next fight.
Official result: Carlos Prates defeated Li Jingliang by knockout (punch), round 2, 4:02
