Raoni Barcelos’s Pressure Wore Down Former Champion Cody Garbrandt
Raoni Barcelos defeated Cody Garbrandt by unanimous decision at UFC Atlanta on June 14, 2025. All three judges scored the bantamweight contest 29–28 for Barcelos, who built on his earlier victory over Payton Talbott by overcoming another notable opponent.
Garbrandt’s fast start met a persistent response
Garbrandt attacked with quick combinations during the opening round and repeatedly resisted Barcelos’s takedown attempts. Barcelos answered with punches and a knee that opened a cut around Garbrandt’s eyebrow.
A late takedown gave Barcelos an opportunity to work from above before the first horn. The exchanges established a contest in which Garbrandt’s speed had to contend with sustained forward pressure.
Barcelos found stronger connections as the fight progressed
During the second, Barcelos continued pursuing takedowns while landing knees, jabs and right hands. Garbrandt kept defending many of the wrestling entries, but Barcelos still created scoring opportunities on the feet.
The pressure carried into the third. Barcelos used low kicks and combinations, then controlled a grappling exchange long enough to reach Garbrandt’s back before they returned to standing.
A shared verdict extended Barcelos’s momentum
Garbrandt continued firing back and invited more exchanges near the end. Barcelos completed the round without surrendering the advantage that had developed over the later stages.
The unanimous decision followed Barcelos’s January win against Talbott at UFC 311. Garbrandt, a former UFC bantamweight champion, instead suffered a second consecutive defeat after his submission loss to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300.
Sources
- UFC: Atlanta event date, venue, divisions and outcomes
- UFC: official Atlanta judges’ scorecards
- Sherdog: opening combinations, knee, pressure, late grappling and official result
- UFC: Barcelos’s Talbott and Garbrandt results
- UFC: Garbrandt’s prior Figueiredo defeat
Article Tags
Raoni Barcelos, Cody Garbrandt, UFC, MMA
