Raoni Barcelos won one of the biggest disruptions of the year, dominating top prospect Payton Talbott in three rounds for his decisive victory at UFC 311 in January.
The 37-year-old Barcelos faces former UFC bantamweight champion Codiger Blunt in a main card match and wants to insert his name into the top 15 in the bantamweight division. Barcelos feels “very happy” to be faced with a man who once ruled the department. He is a matchup he’s dreamed of for many years, and it’s all coming after proving the suspicious person wrong as a +710 underdog in Los Angeles.
“For me, for my career, it was great to have beaten Payton Talbot like that,” Barcelos told MMA Fighting. “It’s all happened naturally since then. I’ve always said that all athletes have highs and lows within the organization. Some people become champions first, and it takes a little longer, but getting there, ranked and becoming champions is not easy.
“But now I’m in this fight in another moment, in a completely different atmosphere,” he continued. “It’s funny how it all changes. Now, I’m a favorite against the former champion. It’s funny. But I don’t really care about all of this. What happens here has nothing to do with what we live there (in the cage). Of course, I’m living a great moment in my career.
Barcelos is now a favorite, entering UFC Atlanta from a one-sided victory over Talbot and a rear naked chalk finish in the third round against Christian Keignons. Meanwhile, Garbrandt was snapped in April 2024 by Deiveson Figueiredo through a choke in the back. But Barcelos is not all cheeky and confident.
“When I was so confident and the UFC hired a new guy to fight me, it happened to me in a previous fight and I lost,” Barcelos said. “It happened with Victor Henry and Kyler Phillips when I got so confident and lost. Kyler Phillips is ranked now. It was a great fight, but he won. I went through it.
With a solid background in jiu-jitsu and wrestling, with more knockouts than submissions in the MMA, Barcelos said it was not stupid to trade in partnership with “Love” on Saturday.
“I can’t hide my game anymore, especially since everyone is studying well,” Barcelos said. “MMA is very strategic today and I’ll go there to put him down and submit. It’s an easy game. I won’t trade for Cody, who has great boxing and heavy hands. Of course, my hands may land. I’ll try to knock him out. He.”
Barcelos hasn’t seen it past Garbrandt, but he already has the name of the postwar callout in mind: Rob Font.
Barcelos said he was offered a late match with Font just weeks after beating Talbot, replacing Dominique Cruz, who was injured in February, but he was still dealing with his own injuries. Brazilian Jean Matusomoto jumped at the opportunity and lost a controversial decision in Seattle. Barcelos said Matsumoto was “stolen” by the judge, which is part of the reason he wants the match.
“I’m not hiding from anyone who wants a lob font after Cody,” Barcelos said. “Lobfonts rank 8 or 9 in the UFC, and of course it’s a good idea to try and rank yourself. I think that’s the next step. Of course, you have to win in one step first and seek a fight against the Lobfont.”