Raoni Barcelos

Raoni Mendonça Barcelos is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Barcelos was introduced to grappling as a small child by his father, Laerte Barcelos, a former Brazilian national freestyle wrestler and jiu-jitsu instructor. Training under his father's guidance from an early age, he built a foundation in both wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu long before turning to mixed martial arts, eventually making his professional MMA debut in 2012.

Barcelos's grappling credentials are extensive and well documented outside the cage. On the wrestling mat, he represented Brazil internationally, earning a silver medal at the Pan American Wrestling Championships and a Brazilian national freestyle title. On the jiu-jitsu mat, he won gold at the IBJJF World Championships as both a blue belt and a purple belt, along with national titles on the Brazilian circuit, before eventually earning his black belt from his father, with a lineage tracing back through Osvaldo Alves, Reyson Gracie, and Carlos Gracie.

That dual base is reflected in his fighting style: Barcelos fights as a wrestler-grappler at heart, working to close distance, control position, and hunt submissions, while rounding out his game with functional boxing to keep opposing strikers honest.

Before arriving in the UFC, Barcelos built his early career on the Brazilian regional circuit, most notably capturing the featherweight title with Resurrection Fighting Alliance and defending it, as well as competing for Shooto Brazil

Stats last updated: September 27, 2026