Billy Ray Goff Record: 9-4-0

Earning the contract and the UFC run

Goff's breakout came on Dana White's Contender Series in August 2022, where he blasted out the previously one-loss Shimon Smotritsky with punches in the first round to put himself firmly on the UFC's radar. He made the most of his debut in August 2023, finishing Yusaku Kinoshita with a first-round body shot into ground strikes – a vicious, highlight-reel introduction to the Octagon. The level rose sharply from there. He dropped a unanimous decision to unbeaten prospect Trey Waters in May 2024, then ran into the grappling of Ramiz Brahimaj in May 2025, who caught him in a first-round guillotine choke. Those back-to-back losses left the Connecticut native looking to recapture the form that made his debut so memorable.

Fighting style

Goff is a pure knockout artist. Of his nine professional wins, seven have come by knockout or TKO, with only two reaching the judges and zero by submission – a finish rate around 78 percent built almost entirely on power and aggression. He hunts the stoppage from the opening bell and is dangerous in any exchange, using elbows and body shots to break opponents down. The trade-off shows in his losses: a closer look at his four defeats – two decisions, one knockout, and one submission – suggests that patient, well-rounded opponents who can survive his early pressure and drag him into deeper waters, especially on the mat, have given him the most trouble.

Career highlights

• Contender Series knockout — stopped the once-beaten Shimon Smotritsky with first-round punches in 2022 to earn his UFC contract.
• Statement UFC debut — finished Yusaku Kinoshita in the first round with a body shot and ground strikes in August 2023.
• Knockout-heavy resume — seven of his nine career wins have come by KO/TKO, underlining one of the more finish-oriented styles in the division.