Raoni Barcelos earned a split-decision victory over Montel Jackson in a hard-fought bantamweight fight at UFC Fight Night 274. The three-round bout saw big moments on the feet and several strong takedown and submission attempts.
Fight summary
Montel Jackson rocked Barcelos early with a heavy body kick and punch that put Barcelos on the canvas. Jackson followed with ground-and-pound, but Barcelos survived and found a way to scramble back to his feet.
After the early scare, Barcelos used pressure, clinch work, takedowns and submission threats to control much of the fight. Jackson kept landing long power shots throughout, while Barcelos repeatedly worked for control against the cage and chased submissions from back and mount positions.
Round-by-round action
Round one began with Jackson’s big body kick and a punch that dropped Barcelos. Jackson landed more strikes on the ground, but Barcelos recovered, pressed Jackson into the cage and later secured multiple takedowns. Barcelos nearly got a rear-naked choke late in the round, but the horn sounded before he could finish the hold.
In round two, both fighters traded leg and body kicks. Barcelos timed a takedown after catching a knee and worked from top position, even moving to full mount at one point. He again swung to the back and tried for a rear-naked choke in the closing seconds, but Jackson escaped each time.
The third round stayed physical and close. Jackson landed clean punches and a head kick that grazed the target. Barcelos answered with several trips and takedowns, and he spent the final moments with back control again. Jackson kept threatening with knees and power shots, but he could not stop Barcelos from finishing on top and hunting submissions.
Decision and takeaways
The judges awarded Barcelos the win by split decision, with scorecards of 29-28, 29-28, and 28-29. Jackson had the bigger moments on the feet, especially early in the fight, while Barcelos showed toughness, cage pressure and consistent takedown and submission attempts across all three rounds.
The bout was competitive from start to finish. Barcelos did enough with his control and late-round positions to earn the victory on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Raoni Barcelos | Win – split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) |
| Montel Jackson | Loss – split decision |
Report by UFCcoverage.
