Modestas Bukauskas

Overview

Four UFC losses by knockout, and the other side of the ledger is just as loud: four UFC wins by knockout, three of them in the first round. Modestas Bukauskas, "The Baltic Gladiator," fights at light heavyweight out of Gintas Combat, and his UFC record is 9-5. His 21-7 professional record includes fights outside the UFC.

Nine of his 14 UFC fights have ended inside the distance or were decided on the cards by a single judge's edge, and very little of it is quiet. He wins by hitting people and loses by getting hit.

He carries a two-fight win streak into his next fight.

UFC Career

Bukauskas debuted in July 2020 with a first-round TKO of Andreas Michailidis, the fight stopping at 5:00 of the opening round. Then came the first knockout loss, to Jimmy Crute at 2:01 of round one, a fighter our model rates as a strong opponent. A split decision loss to Michal Oleksiejczuk and a second-round TKO loss to Khalil Rountree Jr. followed, and the record read 1-3.

The recovery came in 2023. Back-to-back unanimous decisions over Tyson Pedro and Zac Pauga began the longest win streak of his UFC run, four fights. In between sat another knockout loss, to Vitor Petrino in 1:03 of round two. That one is a pattern, not an accident.

The streak itself started in July 2024 with a third-round submission of Marcin Prachnio. A first-round TKO of Rafael Cerqueira came next, then a split decision over Ion Cutelaba and a first-round TKO of Paul Craig. Four straight wins, three of them finishes.

It ended in January 2026 against Nikita Krylov, who stopped him at 4:57 of round three, three seconds from the final bell. A split decision over Christian Edwards and a second-round TKO of Oumar Sy followed.

He has won five of his last six.

Fighting Style

The striking numbers say average: his output, accuracy, defense and damage absorbed all sit around the UFC average. That fits the results. He is not outworking anyone on volume, and he is not being picked apart either. The fights get decided by single big moments, in both directions.

The grappling profile cuts the other way. He rarely shoots for takedowns and rarely hunts submissions, but he is very hard to take down. The submission against Prachnio is the one exception to the rule, and it is a lone data point.

His finishes come early more often than late: three first-round knockouts, one second-round knockout, one third-round submission. Five finishes in nine wins, four of them by knockout. The four unanimous or split decision wins show he can also grind out a result when the knockout isn't there.

Notable Wins

• Paul Craig — KO/TKO, round 1, UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs Borralho (2025)
• Rafael Cerqueira — KO/TKO, round 1, UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs Song (2025)
• Marcin Prachnio — Submission, round 3, UFC 304 (2024)
• Oumar Sy — KO/TKO, round 2, UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs. Parnasse (2026)

Quick Facts

• Division: Light Heavyweight
• UFC record: 9-5
• Professional record (all promotions): 21-7-0
• UFC debut: 2020
• Stance: Switch
• Reach: 76"
• Team: Gintas Combat
• Born: Klaipeda, Lithuania