Raoni Barcelos Age, Biography, UFC Record and Latest Update

Barcelos spent years developing his reputation outside the UFC before joining the promotion in 2018. He became a professional MMA fighter in 2012 and previously competed at featherweight before moving to bantamweight. Before entering the UFC, he captured the Resurrection Fighting Alliance featherweight championship and established himself as a highly experienced grappler and wrestler.

Latest Update: September 28, 2026

As of September 28, 2026, Raoni Barcelos is recovering under medical supervision after his September 26 UFC main-event fight against Raul Rosas Jr. at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The UFC reported on September 27 that Barcelos was transported to a Level 1 trauma center after the fight for evaluation. The organization said a CT scan and comprehensive assessment were performed and that Barcelos was stable, alert and responsive, with full movement.

The fight ended at 1:38 of the fifth round when Rosas Jr. defeated Barcelos by TKO via slam. The UFC described the bout as a back-and-forth contest that went deep into the scheduled five-round main event before Rosas Jr. stopped the veteran in the final round.

The available UFC medical update did not announce a specific diagnosis or long-term prognosis. Therefore, claims about a permanent injury or future retirement should not be presented as confirmed. The latest official information is that Barcelos was stable, alert and responsive while remaining under medical supervision.

Who Is Raoni Barcelos?

Raoni Barcelos, whose full name is Raoni Mendonca Barcelos, is a Brazilian MMA fighter from Rio de Janeiro. He competes primarily in the bantamweight division and is known for combining Brazilian jiu-jitsu with wrestling and striking. His professional career began in 2012.

The UFC identifies Barcelos as a black belt-level jiu-jitsu practitioner who trains with Top Brother. UFC records list him at 5 feet 7.5 inches tall with a 67-inch reach. Other established fight databases list his height as approximately 5 feet 7 inches, so minor differences in listed measurements exist between sources.

Family and Early Life

Barcelos was born and raised in Brazil, with Rio de Janeiro identified as his hometown. His development in martial arts was closely connected to grappling, and his father, Laerte Barcelos, is associated with his jiu-jitsu training and lineage. Barcelos eventually became a black belt under Laerte Barcelos.

His early athletic development included wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Before becoming a major name in professional MMA, he competed in Brazilian national wrestling and grappling events. Sources describing his career identify him as a five-time Brazilian national wrestling champion, a distinction that helped form the wrestling base he later brought into MMA.

Age and Date of Birth

Raoni Barcelos was born on May 1, 1987, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He turned 39 on May 1, 2026. UFC and Sherdog both currently list him as 39, while Sherdog gives his birth date as May 1, 1987.

His age became particularly notable during his September 2026 main event against Raul Rosas Jr., who was 21 at the time. The matchup therefore featured an 18-year age difference between the two bantamweights. UFC coverage described Barcelos as a 39-year-old veteran entering his first UFC main event after eight years and 15 UFC fights.

Education

Detailed information about Barcelos’ formal academic education is not widely documented in reliable public sources. His public biographies focus primarily on wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and professional MMA rather than a college education or academic qualifications. For that reason, a specific school or university should not be stated as confirmed without stronger documentation.

Martial Arts Career

Barcelos became a professional MMA fighter in 2012. His early career included competition at featherweight, where he developed experience before eventually moving to bantamweight. He also competed successfully in grappling and wrestling, giving him a broad skill set before his arrival on the UFC roster.

One of the important stages of his pre-UFC career came in the Resurrection Fighting Alliance, commonly known as RFA. Barcelos became the promotion’s featherweight champion before eventually making the move to the UFC. His previous championship experience helped establish him as a serious prospect before he entered the world’s most prominent MMA organization.

UFC Career

Barcelos made his UFC debut on July 14, 2018. Over the following years, he faced a long list of established bantamweights while building experience inside the Octagon. The UFC currently lists him as having competed in the organization since 2018 and records him as an active fighter.

His UFC run included victories over fighters such as Carlos Huachin, Said Nurmagomedov, Khalid Taha, Trevin Jones, Cristian Quiñonez, Payton Talbott, Cody Garbrandt, Ricky Simon and Montel Jackson. His 2025 and 2026 victories over Garbrandt, Simon and Jackson produced a particularly strong run before his September 2026 main event.

On April 25, 2026, Barcelos defeated Montel Jackson by split decision. That result extended his winning streak and helped earn him his first UFC main-event assignment. UFC reporting before the Rosas Jr. fight said Barcelos had won five consecutive fights entering the September contest.

Raoni Barcelos vs Raul Rosas Jr.

Barcelos faced Raul Rosas Jr. on September 26, 2026, in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The fight was scheduled for five rounds and featured the No. 13-ranked Barcelos against No. 12-ranked Rosas Jr., according to the UFC event listing.

The contest lasted into the fifth round. Rosas Jr. eventually secured the victory at 1:38 of Round 5 with a TKO by slam. The UFC subsequently reported that Rosas Jr. extended his winning streak to six victories with the result.

The finish resulted in Barcelos being taken to a Level 1 trauma center for medical evaluation. The UFC’s next-day update said he had undergone a CT scan and comprehensive assessment and was stable, alert and responsive with full movement. No additional diagnosis had been publicly announced in that update.

Fighting Style

Barcelos is a versatile fighter whose background combines Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling. The UFC lists jiu-jitsu as his fighting style, while its 2026 Brazilian-fighter profile described him as a jiu-jitsu black belt and wrestling specialist.

His wrestling background has also been a major part of his UFC profile. The UFC’s September 2026 preview noted that he had an 89.5 percent takedown-defense rate among active bantamweights at that point, highlighting the defensive wrestling skills that had become a notable part of his game.

UFC Record and Statistics

Before his September 2026 loss to Rosas Jr., Barcelos had accumulated a strong stretch of UFC victories. Sherdog’s current record lists his professional MMA record at 22 wins and 6 losses after the Rosas Jr. fight, with eight victories by knockout or technical knockout, three by submission and 11 by decision.

The UFC’s athlete profile separately highlights eight career wins by KO and three by submission. Because fight databases can update at different times, totals should be checked against the latest official record when publishing future updates.

Height, Weight and Reach

Raoni Barcelos is listed by the UFC at approximately 5 feet 7.5 inches tall with a 67-inch reach. His official UFC weigh-in for the September 26, 2026 fight recorded him at 135 pounds, while the UFC’s fight-night event was a bantamweight contest.

Religion

There is not enough reliable public information to make a firm statement about Raoni Barcelos’ religious beliefs. His professional biographies concentrate on his martial arts background, competition record and training rather than religion. It is therefore more accurate to list his religion as not publicly verified.

Wife, Partner and Children

Barcelos keeps much of his private life away from the focus of his professional UFC profile. While information about his martial arts family and training background is available, reliable sources do not provide enough consistently documented information to establish a complete public profile of his spouse, partner or children.

For that reason, specific claims about a wife, romantic partner or number of children should not be presented as confirmed without a reliable primary or established biographical source.

Net Worth

Raoni Barcelos’ exact net worth is not publicly verified. Unlike some major sports stars, he does not have a publicly documented financial portfolio that establishes his total personal wealth. UFC fighter purses and other earnings can also vary depending on contracts, bonuses and sponsorship arrangements.

Because no reliable official financial statement establishes his net worth, a specific dollar figure should not be treated as fact. Any websites providing an exact estimate should be identified as third-party estimates rather than confirmed wealth figures.

Quick Table

Reader Questions

Wrap-Up

Raoni Barcelos is a veteran Brazilian mixed martial artist whose career has been built on wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and years of professional competition. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1987, he progressed from national-level wrestling and grappling competition to professional MMA, eventually winning an RFA championship before joining the UFC in 2018.

At 39, Barcelos entered September 2026 with a five-fight UFC winning streak and his first UFC main-event assignment. His fight against 21-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. ended in the fifth round, with Rosas Jr. securing the stoppage.

The most important current update concerns Barcelos’ condition following that fight. The UFC’s latest official statement says he was stable, alert and responsive with full movement after medical evaluation, although no detailed diagnosis or long-term prognosis had been released as of September 28, 2026.