Raoni Barcelos and a Sense of Completeness

When Raoni Barcelos looks across the cage in a matter of days, he can expect one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most promising young lions to be staring back at him.

The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Shooto Brazil titleholder will square off against the unbeaten Payton Talbott as part of the UFC 311 undercard this Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Barcelos enters his latest assignment rejuvenated. He rebounded from back-to-back losses to Umar Nurmagomedov and Kyler Phillips with a rear-naked choke submission of Christian Quinonez at UFC Fight Night 237 in February.

“It gave me even more motivation to come back even stronger, so I can get closer to the ranked fighters, the Top 15,” Barcelos told Sherdog.com. “As of now, I’ve already established myself in the UFC. I’ve already faced several great athletes. Now it’s a matter of further sharpening my game so I can get into the rankings. I wish to always face the best.”

Talbott has his attention. The 26-year-old Las Vegas native nailed down his spot on the UFC roster via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, then proceeded to rattle off three consecutive finishes to improve to 9-0. Talbott last competed at UFC 303, where he needed just 19 seconds to punch out Yanis Ghemmouri on June 29.

“He truly shows great promise,” Barcelos said. “He’s undefeated, but he’s never met someone like me. He’s only fought unknowns in the UFC. He needs to get tested. I’ve been in the organization for some time. He has to get past me. Let’s see if he can deal with my wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I’m ready for him.”

Barcelos put in his pre-fight work at the Atos Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Rio de Janeiro, where he sharpened his skills and developed a game plan with longtime coach Davi Ramos.

“This camp was one of my best,” he said. “I had plenty of time to recover and train. I’m feeling strong. I’m feeling complete in all areas, especially in my area of expertise.”

Now 37 years of age, Barcelos owns a 7-4 record across his 11 appearances in the UFC, his run highlighted by wins over Kurt Holobaugh, Chris Gutierrez and Said Nurmagomedov. Despite advancing age and mileage, he still believes he has the necessary tools and wherewithal to make waves in the UFC bantamweight division.

“I plan to keep gaining confidence in my grappling game,” said Barcelos, who turns 38 in May. “I feel it’s one of the best styles in the UFC. I wish to continue nearing ranked opponents. I’d like to fight three or even four times this year.”