Raoni Barcelos, Upsetting Father Time

In a weight class where fighters tend to fade quickly after age 35, Raoni Barcelos is happily bucking the trend.

Headed into his main card tilt against former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt on Saturday at UFC Atlanta, the veteran contender—who celebrated his 38th birthday last month—carries the momentum of a two-fight win streak over opponents in their 20s. The most recent of those, a unanimous decision victory against Payton Talbott at UFC 311 in January, saw him hang a decisive loss on a previously undefeated prospect over a dozen years his junior. While Talbott may still be the future of the UFC bantamweight division, the fight was a stark reminder that Barcelos is not part of its past quite yet.

“Both fighters I faced were very tough,” Barcelos told Sherdog.com. “One of those fights was in Mexico City [against Cristian Quinonez]. I won by submission on hostile ground, despite the elevation. Against Payton Talbott, I had a very intelligent fight. I came in focused on what I had to do. I managed to do it and walked away with a victory. This brings me both confidence and serenity. Now I’ll be facing Cody Garbrandt. It’s a fight I’ve been wanting for a long time. He’s a former champion in our weight class. For me, it would be a great accomplishment in my career. I’m very happy. You can be sure I’ll be 110% ready to win, by submission or knockout if possible.”

While Barcelos is very confident in his continued ability to compete, he admits to having had to deal with some of the wear and tear of a career spanning two dozen professional fights. Last year was the first time he logged only one Octagon appearance since Covid-stricken 2020-2021. Now, he has his sights set on making up for lost time.

“Last year, I had a shoulder injury,” he said. “It kept me out of the game for about a year. I had surgery right after my February [2024] bout. I had to stop training. I would have been ready to fight by December, but the UFC couldn’t place me on a card. Gladly, they booked me for January of this year. Now, I’m about to have my second fight this year. Once I’m past Cody, I hope to fight once more this year – maybe in November or December – for a total of three. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do in the UFC, but it has not been possible due to injuries and other unforeseen factors. Now, in 2025, things are happening as they should.”

In his upcoming foe, Garbrandt, Barcelos sees a challenge as well as an opportunity. “Cody is a very difficult opponent. I’ve been following his career for a long time. It’s a matchup I’ve been asking for. To be facing a former champion – I'm sure we’ll have a great, beautiful fight. I’m going to do my game. I’m hoping to win by submission or KO.”

Preparation for UFC Atlanta has taken place, as it has for his entire career, under the watchful eye of his father Laerte Barcelos, a coral belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a pioneer in bringing freestyle wrestling cross-training to his native sport.

“I got ready in Rio de Janeiro [Brazil] at Atos Jiu-Jitsu with Davi Ramos. My preparation was conducted by my father, Laerte Barcelos, as well as coaches Andre Felipe and Cezar Guimaraes [Casquinha]. We have a great team with great training partners. We’re completely focused on this next fight.”

While it is typical for fighters to claim not to be looking too far ahead, as he nears 40, Barcelos appears willing to map out his next steps. The goal remains the same: finding opponents who present a solid challenge, as well as offering the kind of name value that can restore him to contender status. “After beating Cody, I plan to challenge Rob Font, who’s well ranked. It would be a great fight for me.”