Raffael Cerqueira Record: 11-4-0

UFC run

Cerqueira's promotion to the UFC delivered a brutal reality check against the division's elite. His debut came in October 2024 at UFC 308, where he ran into surging prospect Ibo Aslan and was stopped by punches in the first round. He returned in February 2025 only to suffer another first-round knockout, this time at the hands of Modestas Bukauskas. Cerqueira showed more grit in August 2025, going the full three rounds before dropping a unanimous decision to unbeaten prospect Julius Walker, then was submitted by rear-naked choke in the opening round against the undefeated AbdulRakhman Yakhyaev in November 2025. The UFC's deep light heavyweight pool exposed the gap between dominating regional competition and surviving against world-ranked talent.

Fighting style

Cerqueira is one of the purest finishers in the division, with a 91-percent finish rate that tells the story of his game. Of his 11 wins, eight have come by knockout or TKO and two by submission – only one of his victories has ever reached the scorecards. He is a versatile striker who hurts opponents with kicks to the body and head as readily as with his hands, and his jiu-jitsu and judo base gives him an arm-triangle choke he can fall back on. The weakness his UFC run laid bare is durability and pace against top-tier opposition: three of his four losses have come inside the distance, with two early knockouts, suggesting that elite strikers who can weather his early pressure have found openings to turn the tables.

Career highlights

• Regional finishing machine — built his pre-UFC career on stoppages, with eight knockouts and two submissions among his 11 career wins.
• 91-percent finish rate — only one of his professional victories has gone to a decision, marking him as one of the most finish-oriented fighters in his division.
• UFC light heavyweight — earned his way onto the sport's biggest stage in 2024, debuting at UFC 308 against rising contender Ibo Aslan.