Francisco Prado
Vitals
Height, reach, and career background.
Record
Tap any fight for the breakdown.
19 Jul 2025
LossDEC
Opponent: Jake MatthewsunanimousR3 5:00
UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2
8 Feb 2025
8 Feb 2025
Matthews outpointed Prado over three rounds in Sydney and handed the Argentinian another decision defeat. The loss mattered because Prado had moved up to welterweight looking for a reset after his first UFC stretch and instead fell deeper into a skid.
Key moments
- Lost a unanimous decision to Matthews at UFC 312.
- It marked Prado's third straight UFC defeat overall.
- He later followed it with the split-decision loss to Veretennikov.
LossDEC
Opponent: Daniel ZellhuberunanimousR3 5:00
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2
24 Feb 2024
24 Feb 2024
Prado went the distance with Zellhuber in Mexico City but was consistently edged in a technical kickboxing fight.
Key moments
- Lost all three rounds on the cards against Zellhuber.
- The bout came seven months after Prado's stoppage win over Ottman Azaitar.
- It pushed him into the welterweight reset that continued through 2025 and 2026.
15 Jul 2023
LossDEC
Opponent: Jamie MullarkeyunanimousR3 5:00
UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski
11 Feb 2023
11 Feb 2023
Prado's UFC debut came on short notice against Mullarkey in Perth, and although he made the fight competitive in bursts, he lost a unanimous decision after three rounds. The result still served as a high-level introduction before he earned his first UFC win over Ottman Azaitar five months later.
Key moments
- Lost his UFC debut by unanimous decision.
- Completed all three rounds in a short-notice step up.
- Used the experience as a bridge to the Azaitar stoppage later in 2023.
16 Dec 2022
15 Oct 2022
WinSUB
Opponent: Mauricio Ariel Pareshoulder chokeR3 1:07
SFH 5: Prado vs. La Furia
19 Jun 2022
19 Jun 2022
Pare pushed Prado deeper than many of his other regional opponents, but Prado still found a shoulder choke early in the third round. The bout showed he could stay dangerous after extended exchanges rather than only in first-round chaos.
Key moments
- Won by shoulder choke in round three.
- The submission came at 1:07 of the final frame.
- Proved he could finish after a longer fight as well as in quick bursts.
WinTKO
Opponent: Diego Basualdoknee and punchesR2 0:34
SFH 3: Prado vs. Basualdo
12 Feb 2022
12 Feb 2022
Prado carried his pressure into the second round and finished Basualdo with a knee-and-punches sequence in just 34 seconds of the frame. It was another sign that even when opponents survived the opening storm, the pace rarely eased.
Key moments
- Won by second-round TKO.
- The finish came 34 seconds into round two.
- Used a knee-and-punches sequence to close the fight.
6 Nov 2021
21 Aug 2021
4 Jun 2021
24 Apr 2021
7 Dec 2019
12 Oct 2019
6 Jul 2019
The Read
Style, strengths, and defining traits.
Prado remains an aggression-first welterweight whose clearest strengths are pace, finishing instinct, and comfort scrapping through transitions. The Argentinian built his regional rise on first-round stoppages and quick submissions, and even against better UFC opposition he still looks most dangerous when he can force exchanges rather than point-fight at range.
The UFC results have been harsher than the raw talent suggests. Prado dropped his debut to Jamie Mullarkey, broke through by stopping Ottman Azaitar, then ran into a long skid of decision losses against Daniel Zellhuber, Jake Matthews, Nikolay Veretennikov, and Charles Radtke that now defines the next question in his career: whether the move to American Top Team can turn his pressure into a steadier three-round game.