Latest news with #RaoniBarcelos
USA Today
15-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Raoni Barcelos wants Rob Font after beating former champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC on ESPN 69
Raoni Barcelos wants Rob Font after beating former champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC on ESPN 69 Show Caption Hide Caption UFC on ESPN 69: Raoni Barcelos post-fight interview UFC on ESPN 69 winner Raoni Barcelos talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his unanimous decision victory over Cody Garbrandt. ATLANTA – Raoni Barcelos is not-so-quietly putting together a very impressive late career run. At UFC on ESPN 69 at State Farm Arena, Barcelos (20-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) picked up his first win over a former champion in a unanimous decision nod over Cody Garbrandt. The 38-year-old admits he was surprised by the wrestling ability of Garbrandt (14-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC), but was happy because it made for a more exciting fight for the fans to enjoy. "I think it was definitely the biggest win in my career," told MMA Junkie and other reporters in Portuguese at a post-fight news conference. "It was a great fight. Cody was in great form, and we put on a great fight." All of a sudden, Barcelos finds himself on a three-fight winning streak. Last February, he submitted Christian Quinonez and followed that up with a massive upset decision over Payton Talbott in January. It's a run that has quickly erased the memory of a 1-4 stretch from 2021-23. "I'm just at a really good moment with myself mentally, physically," Barcelos said. "I'm doing very well. It's a magical moment in my life. This was a really quick camp. I found out about this fight on my birthday on May 1st, but everything worked out perfectly, and we did everything correctly." Next, Barcelos knows exactly who he wants, with his eyes set on entering the top 15 and beyond by 2026. "I want Rob Font by the end of the year," Barcelos said. "I want to be in the rankings by the end of the year to basically get in the new year on a high note."
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ESPN 69 takeaways: Ex-champs Usman, Namajunas, Garbrandt emerge in different spots
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 69 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta? Here are a few post-fight musings … 4. Malcolm Wellmaker is a problem Malcolm Wellmaker is a legitimate bantamweight prospect to watch, and he showed why with a highlight-reel victory over Kris Moutinho to keep his undefeated record intact. Advertisement Although Wellmaker (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was set up for this kind of moment in his home state of Georgia, it doesn't mean the result was a given. He still had to go out there and do it, and he did so in absolutely spectacular fashion. It was clear that Wellmaker had something special in him when he emphatically earned his UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series. That was back in August, and all he's done in the 10 months since is earn two first-round face plant knockouts in the UFC, both of which got him Performance of the Night honors. Nice start for the 31-year-old. 3. Cody Garbrandt's future Cody Garbrandt fought valiantly against Raoni Barcelos in their bantamweight bout, but ultimately he came out on the wrong end of a unanimous decision and is now 3-7 in his past 10 fights. Advertisement At this point, it's probably best to understand that Garbrandt (14-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC) is who he is. He can beat UFC-level fighters and even be highly competitive with the upper tier on the right night, but anyone expecting him to recapture the magic that saw him become UFC champion in 2016, is probably in for an eternal wait. There was a different level of intrigue coming into this fight when we thought Garbrandt was on the final bout of his UFC contract. However, he revealed at media day that he signed a new multi-fight deal, so unless the UFC re-negs and cuts him, we are going to likely see more of him being a familiar name at 135 pounds and perhaps not much more. 2. Can Rose Namajunas rediscover title glory? Rose Namajunas showed flashes of the brilliance that made her a UFC champion twice over in her win against Miranda Maverick, even if she didn't get the finish. Advertisement Former two-time strawweight titleholder Namajunas (14-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) claimed her third victory in five fight since moving up to women's flyweight in September 2023 when she outworked Maverick to a unanimous decision. A third-round knockdown sealed the deal in her favor, and that type of moment showed what "Thug" is truly capable of. Although she is only 32 and has just 20 professional fights, Namajunas has accomplished more than most fighters could dream. She wants to get another title in a second division, but 125-pounds is getting deeper and deeper by the day, and no matter how she tries to transform her body, it seems there are critical moments where her technique is overthrown by stronger and bigger opponents who are cutting more weight from bigger frames. We're not here to put a ceiling on Namajunas, though. In peak form, she can truly beat anyone on the women's side. The question, however, is how many more of those nights are left in her at this point. And she would probably agree with that sentiment. 1. How back is Kamaru Usman really? Kamaru Usman dug himself out of the trenches in a big way in the main event when he overcame naysayers, self-doubt and more to thwart Joaquin Buckley for one of the most critical victories of his career. Advertisement Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) has been at the pinnacle of the sport that everyone chases for prolonged period of time, but then it all changed in seemingly the blink of an eye for the former long-reigning UFC welterweight champion, who found himself on a three-fight losing skid and as a betting underdog to Buckley, who was eager to take his spot. It wasn't happening on this night, however, because Usman brought Buckley's six-fight winning streak since dropping to 170 pounds to a halt by unanimous decision, and in the process showed he still has life as a contender in his own right. Usman appears to strongly believe he will be fighting for the title next against the winner of Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev. The likes of Sean Brady, Shavkat Rakhmonov and more will have something to say about that, but Usman is no doubt in a far better spot than he had been if this went the other way, and no matter what he should be proud to have fended off a member of the new guard when the general expectation was he wouldn't. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Atlanta takeaways: Different futures for three former champions
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raoni Barcelos struggles for takedowns, but outworks Cody Garbrandt at UFC Atlanta
It wasn't always pretty, but after he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, Raoni Barcelos added a former champion to his resume. Barcelos (20-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) outworked ex-bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt (14-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC) for a unanimous decision Saturday on the main card at UFC on ESPN 69 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Brazilian won with a trio of 29-28 scores. Advertisement Garbrandt came out swinging in a hurry and got inside a couple times in the first 20 seconds, only to have Barcelos briefly dump him to the canvas. That slowed Garbrandt down after his quick early pace, but 75 seconds in Garbrandt stung Barcelos with a punch and put him on the canvas. The former champ let the Brazilian back up, and they eventually tied up on the fence. Barcelos broke away with a knee. When Barcelos tried to wrestle a couple times, Garbrandt stuffed the takedown attempts, then went after some bigger offense and just missed with a couple that may have ended things. Garbrandt stuffed the first four of Barcelos' takedown attempts, but found himself on his back late after a scramble – and one that may have influenced the judges. Barcelos looked for a takedown early in the second, but Garbrandt stuffed him again. Barcelos threatened with knees along the fence after several scrambles, but midway through the second still was unable to get the fight to the canvas. Despite that, he controlled the pace without much resistance from Garbrandt, who was stuck on the outside fighting backward the bulk of the round. Barcelos appeared to be in control in the third until a late Garbrandt rally, but he never put enough together to be a true threat before the horn. Although Garbrandt stuffed 10 of Barcelos' 11 takedown attempts, defense wasn't enough. Barcelos won for the third straight time. Although he was a betting favorite Saturday, he was a massive underdog for an upset of Payton Talbott earlier this year. Garbrandt dropped his second straight. Advertisement Up-to-the-minute UFC Atlanta results: Raoni Barcelos def. Cody Garbrandt via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Cody Brundage via technical decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Alonzo Menifield def. Oumar Sy via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig declared no contest (accidental foul) – Round 1, 4:59 Michael Chiesa def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Malcolm Wellmaker def. Kris Moutinho via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:37 Jose Ochoa def. Cody Durden via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 0:11 Ricky Simon def. Cameron Smotherman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Phil Rowe def. Ange Loosa via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:03 Jamey-Lyn Horth def. Vanessa Demopoulos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Barcelos has takedown struggles, but outworks Garbrandt at UFC Atlanta
USA Today
14-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 69
Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 69 Cody Garbrandt and Raoni Barcelos meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 69 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 3-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 52-43-1 Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos UFC on ESPN 69 preview Garbrandt (14-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) will look to bounce back from a submission loss to Deiveson Figueiredo last April at UFC 300. That result ended the momentum of back-to-back wins over Trevin Jones and Brian Kelleher. Since dropping the bantamweight title in 2017, Garbrandt has gone 3-5. ... Barcelos (19-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has put together back-to-back wins for the first time since 2019-20. He enters on the heels of a unanimous decision win over Payton Talbott, a fight in which he defied massive odds at the betting window. Prior to that upset, he submitted Christian Quinonez. Now, he'll get a heat check against a former champion. Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos UFC on ESPN 69 expert pick, prediction Serving as a solid matchup at 135 pounds is a showdown between two experienced fighters, Cody Garbrandt and Raoni Barcelos. Despite steadily morphing into an amalgamation of Ryan Gosling's character in "The Place Beyond The Pines" and Waingro from "Heat," Garbrandt claims to be healthy and doing well ahead of this contest with Barcelos. However, all joking aside, it can be hard to know exactly where Garbrandt is given his extensive list of health issues, ranging from vertigo to back problems (not to mention his concussion history that dates back to his amateur competitions). Still, power is the last thing to go, and Barcelos, 38, is not beyond being sparked out at this point in his career. But with Barcelos being the fighter who has clearly done more wrestling and jiu-jitsu maintenance over recent years, I suspect that the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt could be one takedown away from exposing Garbrandt on the floor and changing the complexion of this fight. Even though a knockout in either direction wouldn't shock me, I'll officially pick Barcelos by submission in Round 2. Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos UFC on ESPN 69 odds The oddsmakers and the public favor the Brazilian fighter, listing Barcelos -205 and Garbrandt +164 via FanDuel. Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos UFC on ESPN 69 start time, how to watch Garbrandt and Barcelos are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN and ESPN+.
USA Today
14-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Raoni Barcelos excited for shot to take out ex-champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos excited for shot to take out ex-champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC Atlanta Show Caption Hide Caption UFC Atlanta: Raoni Barcelos media day Raoni Barcelos speaks to reporters at the UFC Atlanta media day. ATLANTA – Raoni Barcelos met the media Wednesday ahead of his fight at UFC on ESPN 69. Barcelos (19-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) takes on Cody Garbrandt (14-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) in a bantamweight fight on the ESPN main card at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. At media day, Barcelos took questions from media members before his fight. Barcelos said the massive upset he pulled off in January – one of the biggest in UFC history against 12-1 favorite Payton Talbott at UFC 311 – gave him extra confidence to know he's heading in the right direction after a stretch of four losses in five fights. The fight with Garbrandt it one he said he's been asking to have for a while. "I asked for the fight a long time ago – when the hype was all on me," the 38-year-old Barcelos told MMA Junkie. "Cody was on his way to become a champion, and the fight never happened. It's all timing. Right now, I feel so much better (than when I first called him out). I'm much more complete of a fighter. "… The fight's happening at the right time. Cody's going to be a good fight for me, but this is the perfect time for me to fight him." Check out Barcelos' full media day interview in the video above.
