Rafael Cerqueira "The Lion"
Rafael Cerqueira, known as "The Lion", is a mixed martial artist from Brazil competing in the UFC Light Heavyweight division. Rafael Cerqueira holds a professional record of 11-4-0, including 0-4-0 inside the UFC. Of those UFC wins, 0 came by knockout or TKO, 0 by submission and 0 by decision. Rafael Cerqueira stands 6'3", has a 76-inch reach, fights out of a southpaw stance, and is 35 years old. Rafael Cerqueira is currently on a 4-fight losing streak and is listed as Not Fighting.
Rafael Cerqueira profile
| Division | Light Heavyweight |
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| Professional record | 11-4-0 |
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| UFC record | 0-4-0 |
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| Division rank | Unranked |
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| Status | Not Fighting |
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| Country | Brazil |
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| Age | 35 |
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| Date of birth | 1990-03-15 |
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| Height | 6'3" |
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| Reach | 76" |
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| Leg reach | 44.5" |
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| Stance | Southpaw |
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| Last weigh-in | 204 lbs |
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| Current streak | L4 |
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| Total octagon time | 19 minutes |
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Striking statistics
| Significant strikes landed per minute | 1.56 |
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| Significant strikes absorbed per minute | 5.05 |
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| Striking accuracy | 44% |
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| Striking defense | 37% |
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| Knockdowns per 15 minutes | 0 |
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| Strikes to the head | 66% |
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| Strikes to the body | 0% |
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| Strikes to the legs | 34% |
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Grappling statistics
| Takedowns per 15 minutes | 0 |
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| Takedown defense | 36% |
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| Submission attempts per 15 minutes | 0 |
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| Average control time per fight (seconds) | 1.8 |
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UFC finish breakdown
| UFC wins by KO/TKO | 0 |
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| UFC wins by submission | 0 |
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| UFC wins by decision | 0 |
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Rafael Cerqueira UFC fight history
| Date | Event | Opponent | Result | Method |
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| 2025-11-22 | UFC Fight Night | Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev | loss | Rear Naked Choke · 0:33 · R1 |
| 2025-08-09 | UFC Fight Night | Julius Walker | loss | Decision · Unanimous |
| 2025-02-22 | UFC Fight Night | Modestas Bukauskas | loss | Combination Punches · 2:12 · R1 |
| 2024-10-26 | UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway | Ibo Aslan | loss | Punches (Standing TKO) · 0:50 · R1 |
Sources and methodology
Career records and bout history are compiled from public event records. UFC performance metrics use published bout statistics; percentiles and derived metrics are calculated by Verdikt AI. Data can change after official corrections.
Read the methodology or report a correction.
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