Rafael Estevam

Overview

Three UFC wins, zero finishes, and the only fight that didn't go the distance is the one he lost.

Rafael Estevam, "Macapa," is a Brazilian bantamweight out of Nova Uniao in Rio de Janeiro. He is 14-1 as a professional across all promotions and 3-1 in the UFC. All three UFC wins came by unanimous decision, and the loss was a third-round KO/TKO.

UFC Career

Estevam's route to the UFC ran through Dana White's Contender Series, where he beat Joao Elias by KO/TKO in Round 2 at 2:25. That fight sits outside his UFC record, which began with his debut in April 2023.

The wins came one at a time. He beat Charles Johnson by unanimous decision in November 2023. Then came Jesus Aguilar in February 2025 and Felipe Bunes in August 2025, both by unanimous decision as well. That is a three-fight win streak, all three going the full three rounds.

The streak ended in April 2026 against Ethyn Ewing. Estevam was stopped by KO/TKO in Round 3 at 1:44, the first time he did not hear the final bell in the UFC.

He carries that loss into his next fight. Four UFC fights is a small sample, but the pattern in it is clear: he wins on the scorecards.

Fighting Style

Estevam is a wrestler first. He shoots for takedowns often and is very hard to take down himself. Striking is the weaker side of his game: he lands less than most and is easier to hit than most, though he takes about as much damage as the UFC average.

The grappling rarely turns into submissions. He hardly hunts for them, and none of his UFC wins came that way.

His wrestling wins fights without ending them. All three of his UFC wins went to the scorecards, with no finishes, and his one loss came by KO/TKO.

Notable Wins

• Felipe Bunes — unanimous decision, Round 3, UFC Fight Night: Taira vs Park (2025)
• Jesus Aguilar — unanimous decision, Round 3, UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Rodrigues (2025)
• Charles Johnson — unanimous decision, Round 3, UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig (2023)

Quick Facts

• Division: Bantamweight
• UFC record: 3-1
• Professional record (all promotions): 14-1-0
• UFC debut: 2023
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 5'8" / 69"
• Team: Nova Uniao - Rio de Janeiro
• Born: Macapá, AP, Brazil