Rafael ‘Macapá’ debuts for the UFC this Saturday (18) – News of Brazil

This Saturday (18) Rafael Estevam, 27, from Amapá, makes his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The fighter will face American Charles Johnson on the preliminary card, in the flyweight category.

The Amapá native is looking for his 12th victory in his career and has high expectations for his debut in the organization. Rafael ‘Macapá’ managed to be part of the UFC after his good performance in the Contender Series, in September 2022.

Rafael was going to debut in May this year against Kazakh Zhalgas Zhumagulov, in New Jersey, in the United States, but he ended up having problems during the weigh-in and had his debut postponed.

Rafael Estevam has a record of 11 wins, no defeats and no draws, arriving at the clash undefeated. In addition to his unbeaten record, he holds the Shotoo Brasil and Fatality Arena titles.

About the career

Rafael Ramos Estevam, 26 years old, is the sixth person from Amapá to go through Utimate Fight Combate (UFC), but to reach that level he had to go through a lot of things and one of them was leaving Macapá very young, at 16 years old, and going to Rio de Janeiro and consolidate himself in the world of fighting.

When Rafael arrived in Rio he went to train jiu-jitsu at Academia Nova União, a place where big names like José Aldo and Renan Barão train. According to him, coach Dedé Pederneiras saw the potential he had and decided to invest.

Getting to the UFC wasn’t easy, but it’s something that many dream of. Estevam explains that, to get the contract, after participating in the Contender Series, in September 2022, he had to demonstrate his value.

“I was champion of Shooto Brasil, which is the biggest fight event in Latin America, I was champion of Fatality Arena and that counts a lot for an athlete. I have been showing my potential, my determination and my desire to win like any normal person. You have to convince yourself that you are the best”, he said.

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