Tag: Raoni Barcelos

UFC Fight Night 211 predictions: Four unanimous picks and two blowouts in Las Vegas

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 211 main card, which features Mackenzie Dern vs. Yan Xiaonan at strawweight.

Dern
vs.
Xiaonan		 Brown
vs.
Trinaldo		 Barcelos
vs.
Jones		 Shainis
vs.
Yusuff		 Castaneda
vs.
Santos		 Borschev
vs.
Davis
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
154-93		 dern2022
Dern
(77%)		 brown2022
Brown
(77%)		 barcelos2022
Barcelos
(80%)		 yusuff2022
Yusuff
(90%)		 castaneda2022
Castaneda
(76%)		 davis2022
Davis
(66%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
165-87
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
161-91		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
159-93
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 borschev2022
Borschev
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
157-95		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
156-96		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
155-97		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 borschev2022
Borschev
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
155-97		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 borschev2022
Borschev
Nolan King
@mma_kings
148-104		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
147-105
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
138-114		 dern2022
Dern		 brown2022
Brown		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
123-128		 dern2022
Dern		 trinaldo2022
Trinaldo		 barcelos2022
Barcelos		 yusuff2022
Yusuff		 castaneda2022
Castaneda		 davis2022
Davis

The UFC is back on its home turf after a week off, and a pair of women’s strawweight contenders headline the card.

UFC Fight Night 211 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at 115 pounds. Dern is a -240 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Xiaonan is +180. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Dern as one of four unanimous picks on the main card at 11-0.

The co-main event features [autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) vs. [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 18-7 UFC) at welterweight. Brown is a -350 favorite, but he’s not unanimous. One of our pickers is taking Trinaldo to pull off the upset.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in a bantamweight bout. Barcelos is a -260 favorite and one of our four unanimous picks.

UFC newcomer [autotag]Don Shainis[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will have a tough task on his hands for his promotional debut when he meets [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at featherweight. Yusuff is the biggest favorite on the card at 11-1, and not surprisingly is a unanimous pick from our staff members.

Our fourth unanimous nod is [autotag]John Castaneda[/autotag] (19-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in his fight against [autotag]Daniel Santos[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), which will take place at a contracted 140-pound catchweight. Castaneda is the smallest favorite on the man card at -190, but he pitched an 11-0 shutout in the picks.

And to open the main card, we have our most contentious bout from a picks standpoint. [autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at lightweight. Davis is a 2-1 favorite at the betting window and has a big 8-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Dern (77 percent), Brown (77 percent), Barcelos (80 percent), Yusuff (90 percent), Castaneda (76 percent) and Davis (66 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 211.

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Raoni Barcelos aims to show off new version of himself at UFC Fight Night 211

“The big difference is my focus now, how I’m training now, and I’m gonna show you guys a completely different Raoni.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] vows he’s a changed fighter after suffering his first career losing skid.

Barcelos (16-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) faces Trevin Jones (13-8 MMA, 1-2 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 211 main card, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

After a 5-0 octagon start, the former RFA champion has lost two straight to Timur Valiev and Victor Henry, which has forced him to make changes.

“After you have two losses, you have something to change, and I did it,” Barcelos told reporters through an interpreter at the UFC Fight Night 211 media day on Wednesday. “I trained completely different than my last two fights so I come back to when I was winning in RFA and right now, I feel very well. I’m training very well, completely different than last time, so I’m very confident to show you guys how it is right now.”

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He continued, “I respect Jones as I respect all my opponents. He’s a tough opponent like all the opponents I fought before, that’s nothing different. But right now, the big difference is my focus now, how I’m training now, and I’m gonna show you guys a completely different Raoni.”

Watch the video of Barcelos’ complete pre-fight media availability above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 211.

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UFC 270 salaries: Francis Ngannou, four others take home six-figure paydays

Much was made in the lead-up to UFC 270 about Francis Ngannou’s contract. So what was his disclosed purse?

UFC 270 featured two title fights and all four of the participants walked out of the cage with six-figure disclosed paydays.

Heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and former interim champion [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] led the way. Former champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] and current flyweight champion [autotag]Deiveison Figueiredo[/autotag] were not far behind in the co-main event.

MMA Junkie obtained a full list of disclosed UFC 270 payouts from California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster immediately following the event. The purses listed do not include discretionary bonuses, pay-per-view points, or performance bonuses.

UFC 270 took place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Check out a full list of UFC 270 disclosed salaries below.

UFC Fight Night 199 loses Raoni Barcelos vs. Victor Henry hours before start time

Hours prior to Saturday’s event, a bout was scrapped.

UFC Fight Night 199 has lost a fight from the preliminary card just hours before the start of the event.

The bantamweight bout between fan favorite [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] and promotional newcomer [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] was scrapped Saturday due to COVID-19 protocols. The card will proceed with 13 bouts.

A person with knowledge of the change confirmed the cancellation after the fight was removed from the UFC’s official online fight card (h/t Twitter user Already Demon).

The cancellation marks the eighth publicly announced bout Barcelos (16-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has signed up for that has not come to fruition. Henry (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will have to wait to make his UFC debut after he signed up for this fight on short notice.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 199 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Derrick Lewis vs. Chris Daukuas
  • Belal Muhammad vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Angela Hill vs. Angela Lemos
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Ricky Simon
  • Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Gamrot
  • Darren Elkins vs. Cub Swanson

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Gerald Meerschaert vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
  • Harry Hunsucker vs. Justin Tafa
  • Sijara Eubanks vs. Melissa Gatto
  • Andre Ewell vs. Charles Jourdain
  • Macy Chiasson vs. Raquel Pennington
  • Don’Tale Mayes vs. Josh Parisian
  • Jordan Leavitt vs. Matt Sayles

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Raoni Barcelos meets short-notice replacement Victor Henry at UFC Fight Night 199

Raoni Barcelos will get to compete before the end of the year when he meets newcomer Victor Henry.

[autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] will get to compete before the end of the year after all.

With Trevin Jones out, Barcelos (16-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) faces newcomer [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 199, which takes place Dec. 18 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Barcelos is coming off a majority decision loss to Timur Valiev at UFC Fight Night 190 in June. Prior to that, the Brazilian was on a nine-fight winning streak, including wins over Said Nurmagomedov and Khalid Taha.

Winner of nine of his past 10, Henry will make a relatively quick turnaround. The 26-fight veteran fighter, who competed for Japanese promotions Rizin FF, DEEP and Pancrase, is coming off a second-round submission of ex-UFC fighter Albert Morales at LXF 6 on Oct. 30.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 199 lineup now includes:

  • Chris Daukaus vs. Derrick Lewis
  • Belal Muhammad vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Angela Hill vs. Amanda Lemos
  • Gerald Meerschaert vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
  • Darren Elkins vs. Cub Swanson
  • Don’Tale Mayes vs. Josh Parisian
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Ricky Simon
  • Jordan Leavitt vs. Matt Sayles
  • Harry Hunsucker vs. Justin Tafa
  • Macy Chiasson vs. Raquel Pennington
  • Andre Ewell vs. Charles Jourdain
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Victor Henry
  • Sijara Eubanks vs. Melissa Gatto
  • Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Gamrot

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Raoni Barcelos vs. Trevin Jones in the works for UFC Fight Night 199

Bantamweights are on tap for the final UFC event of the year.

The UFC is working on a bantamweight matchup for its Dec. 18 event.

Brazil’s [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] and Guam’s [autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag] have been matched up for UFC Fight Night 199, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout is expected to be finalized in the coming days with both parties already agreeing to the matchup.

Two people with knowledge of the targeted booking recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Barcelos (16-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is coming off his first promotional loss, his first defeat overall since April 2014. At UFC Fight Night 190 in June, Barcelos had his nine-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Timur Valiev.

Jones (13-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is also on the heels of his first UFC loss, a submission defeat to Saidyokub Kakhramonov in August. Prior to that fight, Jones knocked out Mario Bautista and Timur Valiev. However, the Valiev fight result was overturned to a “no contest” when Jones tested positive for marijuana.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 199 lineup includes:

  • Chris Daukaus vs. Derrick Lewis
  • Amanda Lemos vs. Nina Nunes
  • Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Darren Elkins vs. Cub Swanson
  • Anthony Hernandez vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
  • Don’Tale Mayes vs. Josh Parisian
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Ricky Simon
  • Jordan Leavitt vs. Matt Sayles
  • Harry Hunsucker vs. Justin Tafa
  • Julia Avila vs. Raquel Pennington
  • Andre Ewell vs. Charles Jourdain
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Trevin Jones

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Raoni Barcelos tests positive for COVID-19, out of UFC Fight Night 186 vs. Marcelo Rojo

Raoni Barcelos has been forced to withdraw from UFC Fight Night 186 due to a positive COVID-19 test.

[autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] has been forced to withdraw from UFC Fight Night 186.

The Brazilian bantamweight contender announnced on Twitter he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be competing against [autotag]Marcelo Rojo[/autotag] on Saturday.

Barcelos (16-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) was initially scheduled to face Raphael Assuncao on Saturday’s card, but after Assuncao was forced out, he drew newcomer Rojo (16-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a 140-pound catchweight bout. But this time, it’s Barcelos who has had to withdraw and it is unknown if Rojo will remain on the card.

Unbeaten in the UFC, former RFA featherweight champion Barcelos is currently riding a nine-fight winning streak, including wins over Said Nurmagomedov, Chris Gutierrez and Kurt Holobaugh.

UFC Fight Night 186 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+. With the withdrawal, the lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Ciryl Gane
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Nikita Krylov
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
  • Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera
  • Angela Hill vs. Ashley Yoder
  • Alex Caceres vs. Kevin Croom

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET)

  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Thiago Moises
  • Alex Oliveira vs. opponent TBA
  • Alexis Davis vs. Sabina Mazo
  • William Knight vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Marcelo Rojo vs. opponent TBA
  • Vince Cachero vs. Ronnie Lawrence
  • Maxim Grishin vs. Dustin Jacoby

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Marcelo Rojo replaces Raphael Assuncao to fight Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 186

A former Combate Americas standout has gotten his wish.

[autotag]Marcelo Rojo[/autotag] has gotten his wish.

Weeks after telling MMA Junkie he wanted to replace injured Raphael Assuncao at UFC Fight Night 186, Rojo (16-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been chosen to do just that. Verbal agreements are in place for him to fight [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The Feb. 27 fight will be contested at a 140-pound catchweight.

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Saturday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Barcelos later confirmed the news, as well, on his Instagram stories.

Rojo, 32, is a longtime Combate Americas standout. He has won three of his most recent four outings with the lone loss coming against UFC bantamweight John Castaneda.

Barcelos (16-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has slowly but surely marched his way up the ranks of the UFC’s bantamweight division. He has struggled to find matchups that hold up. Four of his past seven matchups have been canceled. A former RFA featherweight champion, Barcelos currently rides a nine-fight winning streak, including victories over Said Nurmagomedov, Chris Gutierrez, and Kurt Holobaugh.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 186 lineup includes:

  • Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Ciryl Gane
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Marcelo Rojo
  • William Knight vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Alexis Davis vs. Sabina Mazo
  • Randy Brown vs. Alex Oliveira
  • Alex Caceres vs. Kevin Croom
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Nikita Krylov
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Thiago Moises
  • Vince Cachero vs. Ronnie Lawrence
  • Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera
  • Maxin Grishim vs. Dustin Jacoby

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Marcelo Rojo offers to step in and face Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 186

With Raoni Barcelos needing an opponent for Feb. 27, Marcelo Rojo is more than willing to answer the call.

With [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] needing an opponent for UFC Fight Night 186, [autotag]Marcelo Rojo[/autotag] says he’s more than willing to answer the call and make his octagon debut on short notice.

Currently a free agent, the Combate Americas veteran is ready for a jump up in competition and says stepping in to face the surging UFC bantamweight contender would be the ideal way to introduce himself to the big stage.

Barcelos (16-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) was originally scheduled to face Raphael Assuncao at the event, but now needs an opponent after Assuncao was forced out due to undisclosed reasons. With no word on Barcelos’ next opponent, Rojo (16-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) thinks he’d be the perfect replacement.

“I think we make a great matchup for entertainment,” Rojo told MMA Junkie. “We’re both aggressive fighters, and I think that’s gonna make it great. I came here to fight and that’s what you get when you are in a cage with me.”

The Argentine got a brief taste of the UFC in 2016 when he took part in Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America.” Competing at lightweight during the show, Rojo made it to the semifinals before getting eliminated by Claudio Puelles. He subsequently joined Combate Americas and went 6-2 with the promotion, with all of his wins coming inside the distance.

Rojo, who currently trains at Entram gym in Tijuana, Mexico with the likes of UFC flyweight contender Brandon Moreno and Jose Quinonez, recently obtained his work visa for the U.S. and is hopeful that he can achieve his goal of competing in the octagon.

“Of course, being in the UFC is my dream since I started this beautiful sport,” Rojo said. “I’m training hard and learning every day trying to make it a reality. I hope I get a chance to prove it.”

Raphael Assuncao out of UFC Fight Night matchup vs. Raoni Barcleos on Feb. 27

The UFC Fight Night event scheduled for Feb. 27 has taken another blow.

[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] won’t be fighting on Feb. 27.

Scheduled to fight [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag] in a pivotal bantamweight matchup, Assuncao (27-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) has withdrawn from the UFC Fight Night event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas for unknown reasons.

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the withdrawal but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Barcelos (16-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has struggled to find matchups that hold up. Four of his past seven matchups have been canceled. A former RFA featherweight champion, Barcelos currently rides a nine-fight winning streak including victories over Said Nurmagomedov, Chris Gutierrez, and Kurt Holobaugh.

The UFC Fight Night event marks only the second time Assuncao has withdrawn from a fight since 2013.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Feb. 27 includes:

  • Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Ciryl Gane
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. TBA
  • William Knight vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Alexis Davis vs. Sabina Mazo
  • Randy Brown vs. Alex Oliveira
  • Hannah Cifers vs. Emily Whitmire
  • Alex Caceres vs. Kevin Croom
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Nikita Krylov
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Thiago Moises
  • Vince Cachero vs. Ronnie Lawrence

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