Raphael Assuncao

Brazil

Retires following wacky loss
BantamweightUFC
March 11, 2023
Assuncao lost to Davey Grant via technical submission (reverse triangle choke) at 4:43 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. He announced his retirement following the fight.
ANALYSIS
Assuncao has had a long, storied career in this sport, and his run ends with as wacky a fight as you will ever see. Raphael was 17 seconds away from winning a decision. He used his grappling to take a significant lead into Round 3, at which point he began getting battered by Grant on the feet. He appeared to be in position to force his opponent to the mat and ride out the clock, but Grant grabbed the fence. Referee Keith Peterson saw it and docked Davey a point, but he didn't give Assuncao the position back, and it ended up costing him the fight. Raphael will be 41 years old in July and has lost five of his last six fights, so it's easy to see why he feels it's time to step away. The former WEC standout ends his UFC run with a 12-7 record. Given his recent struggles, it shows how good Assuncao was early in his time with the company.
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Tabbed for UFC Vegas 71
BantamweightUFC
January 2, 2023
Assuncao will take on Kyler Phillips at UFC Vegas 71 on March 11, Team Iridium Sports Agency reports.
ANALYSIS
Assuncao is coming off a unanimous decision win over Victor Henry back in mid-October. It was a big win for the 40-year-old whose previous win came way back in July of 2018. Phillips holds a 10-2 record with his last fight coming 11 months ago in February where he submitted Marcelo Rojo.
Vintage performance in victory
BantamweightUFC
October 15, 2022
Assuncao defeated Victor Henry via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Now 40 years of age, Assuncao entered having lost four fights in a row and without a victory for well over four years. Many were shocked he was getting another opportunity here, but this was a vintage performance from the Brazilian. He managed to keep Henry off balance despite the fact it was his opponent that led the dance nearly the entire way. Assuncao mixed in a pair of takedowns and 4:29 worth of control time for good measure. It's far more likely than not this was a fluke considering Raphael's recent body of work, but this win will ensure he gets another fight with the UFC.
Set to return Oct. 15
BantamweightUFC
August 21, 2022
Assuncao (knee) will fight Victor Henry at the UFC event on Oct. 15, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Assuncao was issued a medical suspension after injuring his knee during his loss to Ricky Simon in December of 2021, but he's had enough time to get healthy and will return to the Octagon to face Henry in October. Assuncao hasn't recorded a victory since 2018, so the 40-year-old will look to right the ship against Henry, who is six years younger.
Could miss six months
BantamweightUFC
December 21, 2021
Assuncao was handed a six-month medical suspension Tuesday due to a knee injury, MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Assuncao got knocked out by Ricky Simon on Saturday and injured his left knee in the process. He'll undergo an MRI and will be out of action until June 17 unless cleared by a doctor if the test reveals significant damage.
Struggles continue in Vegas
BantamweightUFC
December 18, 2021
Assuncao lost to Ricky Simon via KO (punches) at 2:14 of Round 2 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Assuncao has been with the UFC for well over a decade and has plenty of impressive wins on his resume (Aljamain Sterling, TJ Dillashaw, Marlon Moraes, etc.) but this had the feel of his last appearance with the company. He wasn't competitive in what ended up being his fourth straight defeat, ultimately being finished off by a vicious combination from Simon. The Brazilian was actually quite durable for the vast majority of his career, but two of his three knockout defeats have come in his past two fights. Assuncao's last win came in July 2018, and he has just a single win dating back to June 2017. If this indeed the end, Raphael had quite a run.