This past Saturday on the main card of UFC Vegas 111, we saw an incredibly intriguing matchup in the bantamweight division between two guys who were knocking on the door of the rankings. Raoni Barcelos (21-5) was looking to continue his winning streak as he took on Ricky Simon (22-7) who was looking to win his third in a row.
Both of these men have battled back from tough stretches inside the octagon to re-establish themselves. Both had a ton to prove on Saturday night and they both fought like it. Through two rounds on Saturday, you could make the argument that either man won either round.
That said, I personally had it 19-19 with Simon taking the first round and Barcelos taking the second. Barcelos just kept coming and I gave the 38-year-old the final round and I scored the fight 29-28. The fight was incredibly entertaining with both men having big moments and ultimately, all three judges agreed with me and Barcelos won the decision at UFC Vegas 111.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 111?
As mentioned above, Barcelos is 38 and he’ll be turning 39-years-old next May. Guys in the smaller weight classes normally don’t see this kind of resurgence at an advanced age. That said, Barcelos is showing the world what can be done even when you’re in your late 30s.
Back in August 2023, Barcelos lost a decision to Kyler Phillips. When he lost that decision, he was 36 and he was 1-4 in his last five fights. Nobody would have argued had the UFC just decided to cut ties right then. Nobody could’ve expected him to make a run especially with the history of older fighters in the smaller weight classes.
However, Barcelos has proven everyone wrong. He submitted Cristian Quinonez a few months after that loss to Phillips. Nearly a year later, the UFC put him in a showcase fight with Payton Talbott. Talbott was one of the biggest prospects in the sport and the fight was supposed to highlight him against a tough veteran.
That said, Barcelos took him to the woodshed and dominated him to win his second in a row. He then faced former UFC champion Cody Garbrandt this past June and once again, he won a big decision. Now, he’s defeated a hungry Ricky Simon for his fourth win in a row.
If he’s not in the UFC rankings tomorrow, he’s going to be fighting someone ranked next. In terms of opponents, you could go a few different ways for Barcelos. You could give him someone like Rob Font next. Font is ranked 12th and he’s 2-1 in his last three fights. Could be a great way to get Barcelos into the rankings.
You could also pair him with David Martinez who is currently ranked 11th. This could be a real test to see just how good Martinez is. The UFC could also look at booking him against Chito Vera who is ranked 8th, but he’s lost three fights in a row. Former KSW champ Jakub Wiklacz could also be an option, but I think the UFC should really reward Barcelos with a ranked opponent next.
More about: MMA
