Raoni Barcelos is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, former amateur wrestler and grappler who competes in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A highly experienced and well-rounded fighter, he is a five-time Brazilian national wrestling champion and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, a background that has made him a formidable, technically skilled competitor. A former Resurrection Fighting Alliance featherweight champion before joining the UFC, he built a strong record over his career and, after a resurgence in the mid-2020s, established himself as one of the top-ranked contenders in the UFC’s bantamweight division.
Raoni Barcelos Biography, Wiki
| Field | Details |
| Full Name | Raoni Mendonca Barcelos |
| Date of Birth | 1 May 1987 |
| Age (2026) | 39 years |
| Birthplace | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Reach | 67 in (170 cm) |
| Division | Bantamweight |
| Team | Top Brother |
| MMA Record | 22 wins, 6 losses |
Raoni Barcelos Details
| Area | Detail |
| Wrestling | A five-time Brazilian national wrestling champion |
| Grappling | A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt |
| RFA | A former RFA featherweight champion |
| UFC | Competes in the UFC bantamweight division |
| Style | A well-rounded wrestler and grappler |
| Ranking | A top-ranked UFC bantamweight contender |
Raoni Barcelos Events
| Year | Event |
| 1 May 1987 | Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 2012 | Began his professional MMA career |
| 2016 | Won the RFA featherweight title |
| 2018 | Made his UFC debut |
| 2018 to 2020 | Built an unbeaten start in the UFC |
| 2024 to 2025 | Enjoyed a career resurgence on a win streak |
| September 2026 | Fought in the first main event of his career |
Raoni Barcelos Early Life and Grappling Background
Raoni Barcelos was born Raoni Mendonca Barcelos on 1 May 1987 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and he built his combat-sports foundation in wrestling and grappling. He became a highly accomplished amateur wrestler, winning the Brazilian national wrestling championship five times, and he also earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Laerte Barcelos, taking a national no-gi title. This deep grappling pedigree gave him an exceptional technical base, and he transitioned into mixed martial arts, turning professional in 2012 and combining his wrestling and jiu-jitsu with developing striking skills.
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Raoni Barcelos Mixed Martial Arts Career
Raoni Barcelos’s Rise and RFA Title
Raoni Barcelos built his early professional career in mixed martial arts on the regional and international circuits, quickly making a name for himself with his strong grappling and finishing ability. Competing primarily at featherweight in his early years, he rose through the ranks of the Resurrection Fighting Alliance, a respected North American promotion, and captured the RFA featherweight championship. His success outside the sport’s biggest stage, combined with his impressive skill set, earned him a contract with the UFC, the premier organisation in the sport.
Raoni Barcelos in the UFC
Raoni Barcelos made his UFC debut in 2018 and started his tenure in the organisation impressively, winning his early bouts and building an unbeaten run as he moved down to the bantamweight division. Facing increasingly tough competition, he established himself as a durable, well-rounded contender known for his takedowns, grappling control and toughness. Over the following years he faced a number of the division’s top fighters, experiencing both success and some setbacks against elite opposition, and he became a respected veteran presence in a deep and competitive bantamweight division.
Raoni Barcelos’s Career Resurgence
Raoni Barcelos enjoyed a notable career renaissance in the mid-2020s, putting together a strong winning streak that propelled him up the bantamweight rankings. During this run he recorded impressive victories over well-known opponents, including former champions and highly regarded contenders, re-establishing himself as one of the top-ranked fighters in the division. His resurgence, achieved as he entered his late thirties, was widely praised and positioned him on the edge of title contention, culminating in a high-profile, main-event opportunity.
Raoni Barcelos’s 2026 Main Event
Raoni Barcelos headlined a UFC Fight Night event for the first time in his career in September 2026, facing the rising young contender Raul Rosas Jr. in a bantamweight main event that pitted two fighters on winning streaks against each other. The bout was a fast-paced, back-and-forth contest widely praised as one of the best fights of the year, with Barcelos leading on the scorecards entering the final round. In the fifth round, however, he was taken down and lost consciousness, and the fight was stopped. He was taken from the cage for medical evaluation, and the profile addresses this below.
Raoni Barcelos’s Health Update
Raoni Barcelos lost consciousness following a takedown late in his September 2026 main-event bout and was taken from the cage on a stretcher and transported to a hospital for evaluation, an incident that caused concern among fans and fellow fighters. The UFC and his coach subsequently provided reassuring updates, confirming that after a medical assessment he was stable, alert and responsive, with full movement, and that he would remain under medical supervision as a precaution. This profile notes the incident briefly and factually, in the official framing, with restraint and without alarming detail, and wishes him a full recovery.
Raoni Barcelos’s Fighting Style
Raoni Barcelos is known as a well-rounded and technically skilled fighter whose game is built on his elite grappling foundation. Drawing on his background as a five-time national wrestling champion and a jiu-jitsu black belt, he is a strong wrestler with excellent takedowns and control, and a dangerous submission grappler. Over his career he also developed his striking, becoming a capable counter-puncher, and he is respected for his toughness, durability and high-paced, action-oriented style. This blend of skills has made him a difficult matchup for many of the world’s best bantamweights.
Raoni Barcelos Personal Life
Raoni Barcelos is a proud Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro, the heart of his country’s rich martial-arts tradition, and he has trained with respected teams over his career, most recently Top Brother. He comes from a family and lineage connected to grappling, having earned his jiu-jitsu black belt under Laerte Barcelos. He has generally kept his personal life relatively private, focusing his public identity on his fighting career and his achievements in the cage, and he remains a respected veteran figure in the sport.
Raoni Barcelos Height and Physical Profile
Raoni Barcelos stands 5 feet 7 inches, or 1.70 metres, tall, with a reach of 67 inches, and competes in the bantamweight division at 135 pounds. His compact, powerful build and his strength in the grappling exchanges, honed through years of wrestling and jiu-jitsu, are central to his identity as a control-oriented, well-rounded mixed martial artist.
Raoni Barcelos Net Worth and Earnings
Raoni Barcelos earns his income through his career as a professional mixed martial artist, including his UFC fight purses, win bonuses and any performance bonuses, as well as sponsorships. A precise, reliably verified net-worth figure is not established in the public record, and this profile does not put one forward, as figures for fighters vary and are often unofficial. His earnings, like those of many fighters, depend on his activity and results in the cage.
| Source | Detail |
| Net worth | Not reliably documented (treat estimates with caution) |
| Main income sources | His UFC purses, bonuses and sponsorships |
Raoni Barcelos Social Media
Raoni Barcelos maintains a public presence on social media, where he shares his fighting career and his life with his followers, and where fans and the MMA community rallied in support following his 2026 main event.
| Platform | Handle | Notes |
| Under his own name | Career and personal content | |
| Public information | The UFC and MMA media | How news about him is reported |
Raoni Barcelos Controversies
No significant personal controversy involving Raoni Barcelos surfaced in the material examined for this profile. Coverage of him has focused overwhelmingly on his fighting career, his grappling accomplishments, his UFC bouts and his career resurgence, rather than on any off-field matter.
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Lesser Known Facts About Raoni Barcelos
- His full name is Raoni Mendonca Barcelos.
- He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- He is a five-time Brazilian national wrestling champion.
- He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.
- He was a former RFA featherweight champion before the UFC.
- He enjoyed a career resurgence in his late thirties.
- He headlined his first UFC main event in 2026.
Raoni Barcelos FAQ
Who is Raoni Barcelos?
He is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former amateur wrestler who competes in the UFC’s bantamweight division.
How old is Raoni Barcelos?
Born on 1 May 1987, he is 39 years old in 2026.
What is Raoni Barcelos’s record?
He has a professional MMA record of 22 wins and 6 losses.
What is Raoni Barcelos known for?
He is known as a top-ranked UFC bantamweight, a five-time Brazilian national wrestling champion and a jiu-jitsu black belt.
What happened in Raoni Barcelos’s 2026 main event?
He lost by fifth-round TKO to Raul Rosas Jr. in a highly praised fight and briefly lost consciousness; he was later reported stable and responsive.
Was Raoni Barcelos a champion before the UFC?
Yes, he was the Resurrection Fighting Alliance featherweight champion before signing with the UFC.
Where is Raoni Barcelos from?
He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
What is Raoni Barcelos’s fighting style?
He is a well-rounded grappler with elite wrestling and jiu-jitsu, strong takedowns and control, and developed counter-striking.
What team does Raoni Barcelos fight for?
He most recently trains with the Top Brother team.
How tall is Raoni Barcelos?
He stands 5 feet 7 inches, or 1.70 metres, tall, with a 67-inch reach.
Sources
ESPN, UFC’s Raoni Barcelos ‘stable, alert’ after TKO loss in main event, https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/50039772/barcelos-stretchered-hospitalized-tko-loss-ufc-main-event
UFC, Update on Raoni Barcelos following UFC Fight Night, https://www.ufc.com/news/update-raoni-barcelos-following-ufc-fight-night-rosas-jr-vs-barcelos
ESPN, Raoni Barcelos Fight History, https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/history/_/id/3075570/raoni-barcelos