Rafael Cerqueira "The Lion"
Rafael Cerqueira, known as "The Lion", is a mixed martial artist from Brazil listed in the Light Heavyweight division. Rafael Cerqueira holds a professional record of 11-5-0, 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 36 years old. Rafael Cerqueira is currently on a 5-fight losing streak and is listed as Not Fighting.
Rafael Cerqueira profile
| Division | Light Heavyweight |
|---|---|
| Professional record | 11-5-0 |
| UFC record | 0-4-0 |
| Division rank | Unranked |
| Status | Not Fighting |
| Country | Brazil |
| Age | 36 |
| Date of birth | 1990-03-15 |
| Height | 6'3" |
| Reach | 76" |
| Leg reach | 44.5" |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Last weigh-in | 204 lbs |
| Current streak | L5 |
| Total octagon time | 19 minutes |
Striking statistics
| Significant strikes landed per minute | 1.56 |
|---|---|
| Significant strikes absorbed per minute | 5.05 |
| Striking accuracy | 43.9% |
| Striking defense | 36.9% |
| Knockdowns per 15 minutes | 0 |
| Strikes to the head | 65.5% |
| Strikes to the body | 0% |
| Strikes to the legs | 34.5% |
Grappling statistics
| Takedowns per 15 minutes | 0 |
|---|---|
| Takedown defense | 36.4% |
| Submission attempts per 15 minutes | 0 |
| Average control time per fight (seconds) | 6.75 |
UFC finish breakdown
| UFC wins by KO/TKO | 0 |
|---|---|
| UFC wins by submission | 0 |
| UFC wins by decision | 0 |
Rafael Cerqueira recorded fight history
Recorded bouts across promotions. This list can be incomplete and is not a substitute for the published full career record.
| Date | Promotion | Event | Opponent | Result | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-06 | Liga Monstro Combate | Liga Monstro Combate - LMC 1 | Joao Zeferino | loss | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2025-11-22 | UFC | UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker | Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev | loss | Rear Naked Choke |
| 2025-08-09 | UFC | UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Hernandez | Julius Walker | loss | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2025-02-22 | UFC | UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song | Modestas Bukauskas | loss | Punches to Head At Distance |
| 2024-10-26 | UFC | UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway | Ibo Aslan | loss | Punches to Head At Distance |
| 2024-04-28 | DF | DF - Demo Fight 19 | Rodrigo Araujo Silva | win | TKO (Punch) |
| 2024-01-27 | DF | DF - Demo Fight 18 | Ivonilson Dias Santos | win | KO (Elbow) |
| 2023-12-07 | VFE / Brave CF 78 | VFE / Brave CF 78 - Victorious Fighting Entertainment / Brave Combat Federation 78 | Jhonathan Souza | win | KO (Body Kick) |
| 2023-07-29 | DF | DF - Demo Fight 17 | Gutembergue Souza da Silva | win | Submission |
| 2023-03-25 | DF | DF - Demo Fight 16 | Jose Otavio dos Santos Lacerda | win | TKO (corner stoppage) |
| 2022-09-24 | DF | DF - Demo Fight 14 | Wesley Almeida | win | TKO (Punch) |
| 2022-05-28 | DF | DF - Demo Fight 13 | Silvio Jose da Silva | win | Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) |
| 2022-04-02 | Qualify Combat 10 | Qualify Combat 10 - Qualify Combat | Fernando Filho | win | Decision (Unanimous) |
| 2021-09-25 | DF | DF - Demo Fight 10 | Bruno Leonardo | win | TKO |
| 2021-08-14 | Imperium | Imperium - MMA Pro 15 | Benicio Dias | win | KO (Head Kick) |
| 2019-09-07 | Qualify Combat 9 | Qualify Combat 9 - Qualify Combat Striker | Gustavo Dos Santos Tosta | win | TKO (Kick On The Body) |
More light heavyweight fighters
Rafael Cerqueira is listed in the Light Heavyweight database division.
Medical and compliance records
View Rafael Cerqueira's public medical and compliance records.
UFC medical and compliance records
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Sources and methodology
Career records and bout history are compiled from published MMA records. UFC performance metrics use published bout statistics; percentiles and derived metrics are calculated by Verdikt AI. Data can change after official corrections.
Tapology fighter record · Reviewed professional MMA record (Sherdog)
How to compare records and statistics · Read the methodology or report a correction.
