Luan Lacerda Record: 13-4-0

Regional dominance and the UFC call

The win that helped cement his UFC case came in May 2022, when Lacerda finished Marcirley Alves with a second-round rear-naked choke at LFA 132. The signing followed, and Lacerda stepped into the Octagon in January 2023 against established American contender Cody Stamann at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro. Fighting in front of a home crowd, he dropped a hard-fought unanimous decision, and his second appearance went worse: a second-round TKO loss to Da'Mon Blackshear in June 2023 left him 0–2 to begin his UFC tenure.

Octagon redemption

Lacerda answered the adversity in the most fitting way for a grappler of his pedigree. In October 2025, back in front of a Brazilian crowd, he submitted Saimon Oliveira with a second-round armbar to secure his first UFC victory and prove the submission game that carried him through the regional ranks still translated at the highest level. He returned in March 2026 against Hecher Sosa, dropping a three-round unanimous decision that underscored the recurring theme of his Octagon run: when the fight hits the mat, he is elite, but he has had to grind to keep it there against UFC-caliber athletes.

Fighting style

Lacerda is one of the purest submission artists on the roster. Of his 13 professional wins, 11 have come by submission — an 85% finish rate — spread across anacondas, triangles, armbars, guillotines, heel hooks, and rear-naked chokes, reflecting genuinely complete grappling rather than reliance on a single trick. His strength is the transition game: catching opponents in scrambles and converting positional control into finishes. The honest weakness is the flip side of that specialization — all four of his career losses have come either on the feet or via decisions where he could not impose his grappling, including the only KO and the only decision losses of his UFC stint, suggesting his striking and takedown entries against top opposition remain the areas to round out.

Career highlights

• First UFC win in Brazil — submitted Saimon Oliveira by second-round armbar in 2025 to break through after an 0–2 Octagon start.
• Elite submission rate — 11 of 13 career wins by tapout (85%), a finishing percentage that ranks among the best in the bantamweight division.
• Nova União pedigree — emerged as a Shooto Brasil standout from one of MMA's most decorated academies, beating unbeaten prospects like Raulian Paiva on the way up.