Raoni Barcelos Edges Montel Jackson by Split Decision at UFC Vegas 116
The Brazilian targets Deiveson Figueiredo next to speed a late-career climb into the bantamweight top tier.
Overview
- Barcelos won a split decision over Jackson with 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 scorecards on Saturday on the UFC Vegas 116 main card at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
- Jackson hurt Barcelos early with a head kick and flurry, but the veteran steadied himself and leaned on takedowns and control.
- Barcelos threatened a rear-naked choke at the end of rounds one and two, coming closest to a finish as time expired.
- After the victory, he called for Deiveson Figueiredo or Marlon Vera, naming Figueiredo as the matchup he wants to climb the rankings.
- Figueiredo beat Jackson last year before falling to Umar Nurmagomedov and is 4–3 since moving to bantamweight, setting clear stakes for a potential meeting.