Raposo Outworked Maksum to Finally Secure His First UFC Win

Mitch Raposo defeated Azat Maksum by unanimous decision on October 25, 2025, at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. The judges returned scores of 30–26, 29–27 and 29–27 after a fight that combined Raposo’s striking with Maksum’s persistent wrestling attempts.

The matchup proceeded after a missed weight

Maksum weighed 129 pounds, three pounds above the non-title flyweight limit. Raposo registered 125.5 pounds, and the fight went ahead at catchweight with Maksum forfeiting thirty percent of his purse.

Raposo found opportunities to land hard shots and move away from danger. Maksum responded by seeking takedowns, including one that led Raposo to threaten an omoplata before the position was defended.

Repeated escapes kept Raposo’s offense alive

Maksum continued bringing Raposo down in the third round, but struggled to hold him there. Raposo repeatedly worked upright and resumed attacking whenever the contest returned to striking range.

That distinction mattered throughout the later exchanges. Maksum achieved periods of positional control, while Raposo refused to remain underneath and continued producing offense between the wrestling sequences.

A fence grab brought a costly deduction

During a scramble involving Raposo’s no-arm guillotine attempt, Maksum grabbed the fence. The referee stopped the action and deducted a point rather than allowing the foul to pass with a warning.

Raposo kept attacking through the closing stages and earned his first official UFC victory. The unanimous result rewarded a performance built on active striking, repeated positional escapes and continued effort through the final horn.

Sources

• Cageside Press: exchanges, escapes and first UFC victory
• Cageside Press: catchweight and purse penalty
• UFC: official unanimous scores

Tags

UFC, MMA