Carlos Leal Record: 23-7-0

The PFL years and the road to the UFC

Leal's profile rose sharply through the Professional Fighters League. In early 2022 he ran through the PFL Challenger Series, stopping Korey Kuppe with a first-round TKO and then edging Chris Brown by split decision to earn his place in the league's season. He validated it immediately, outpointing two-time finalist Ray Cooper III over three rounds – one of the signature wins of his career – before his run ended in the playoffs against Sadibou Sy. He returned to the PFL in 2023 and opened with a first-round TKO of David Zawada, again reaching the playoffs before another loss to Sy. That body of work earned him a UFC call. His promotional debut in October 2024 ended in a decision loss to unbeaten welterweight Rinat Fakhretdinov, but Leal answered in style: at UFC 313 in March 2025 he blitzed veteran Alex Morono with a first-round TKO. A first-round knockout loss to Muslim Salikhov followed in July 2025, but Leal rebounded again in February 2026, outpointing the rangy Chidi Njokuani over three rounds.

Fighting style

Leal is a knockout artist first – 11 of his 23 wins have come by KO or TKO, the clear signature of his career. His Thai Brasil striking is built on power and timing, and he is at his most dangerous early, with several of his biggest wins ending inside the opening round. What separates him from a one-dimensional banger is his grappling foundation: two submission wins and a junior background across jiu-jitsu and wrestling give him the tools to survive scrambles and grind out decisions when the finish isn't there, as eight career decision wins attest. His vulnerabilities have shown against elite, well-rounded opposition, where higher-level wrestlers and counter-strikers have outpointed or caught him. When he can plant his feet and let his hands go, however, few welterweights hit harder.

Career highlights

• PFL standout — a decision win over two-time PFL finalist Ray Cooper III headlined a strong run that established him as a legitimate top-tier welterweight.
• Eleven knockouts — nearly half of his career wins have come by KO/TKO, including fast first-round finishes that define his reputation as "The Lion."
• UFC statement win — a first-round TKO of veteran Alex Morono at UFC 313 announced his arrival in the promotion after a debut loss.