Ali Akbar Rosady
Las Vegas, NV – Allan Nascimento, known as "Puro Osso," is poised to pursue his fifth consecutive victory inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) octagon this Saturday at UFC Vegas 119, where he is scheduled to face Mitch Raposo in a pivotal flyweight contest. Despite his impressive four-fight winning streak, Nascimento remains unranked in the highly competitive 125-pound division, a situation he openly describes as lacking logical coherence within the sport’s ranking system.
Nascimento’s professional journey, particularly within the UFC, has been characterized by periods of inactivity, largely attributed to a series of injuries that sidelined him between 2022 and 2024. However, the year 2025 has marked a significant resurgence for the Brazilian contender. Demonstrating renewed vigor and consistency, Nascimento secured two decisive victories earlier in the year: a win over Jafel Filho and a standout, bonus-winning submission against Cody Durden. This recent surge in activity and performance was intended to culminate in an initial bout against Raposo on April 18, but the fight was postponed due to Raposo’s illness, necessitating its rescheduling for this weekend’s card.
The Chute Boxe product, a submission specialist with nearly 75 percent of his mixed martial arts victories coming by way of tap-out, voiced his perplexity regarding the mechanisms of the official UFC rankings. "I don’t even know if I create expectations around the rankings, to be honest," Nascimento disclosed in an interview with MMA Fighting. "The rankings are totally influenced by the people who make them. When you bring in an athlete coming off a loss, one who has never been ranked before, and put them at No. 15, while another athlete on a four-fight win streak doesn’t get in, there’s no logic to it."
This sentiment underscores a broader discussion within the MMA community concerning the subjective nature of fighter rankings, which are determined by a panel of media members. Fighters often express frustration when perceived inconsistencies arise, particularly when their sustained success does not translate into official recognition within the top 15 of their respective divisions. Nascimento articulated his desire for inclusion while maintaining a pragmatic perspective: "I want to be in the rankings, I want to be part of them, but I don’t build expectations around that. Unfortunately, I have to be honest about it. Of course I want to be in the top 15, top 10, top 5, but it doesn’t depend only on me. It depends on the people who vote and choose who they want there."
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Nascimento remains confident that a continued string of victories will eventually render his exclusion untenable. "At some point, with win after win, there won’t be much of a way around it," he asserted, believing that consistent triumph will ultimately compel the ranking panelists to acknowledge his position among the division’s elite. Securing a dominant win against Raposo in Las Vegas is expected to bolster his case significantly, reinforcing his commitment to maintaining a more consistent fight schedule within the UFC.
The importance of competitive rhythm and consistent activity is a recurring theme for Nascimento. He elaborated on the unique demands of mixed martial arts compared to other global sports. "Rhythm makes a difference for every athlete," Nascimento explained. "MMA is much harder compared to any other sport in terms of competitiveness. A tennis player might have 200, 300, 400 matches in a career. Soccer or basketball players have over 100 competitions. In fighting, it’s very limited." He highlighted the stark contrast in the stakes associated with each contest. "We know training is hard and intense, but it’s only inside the cage that you truly feel the things that change the environment. Going into another fight in such a short time is great because that feeling is still fresh."
Nascimento further emphasized the unforgiving nature of MMA. "I may be biased because it’s my sport but MMA is the hardest and most unforgiving sport," he stated. "A loss for someone like [Rafael] Nadal or another tennis player hurts, but they can bounce back the following week with a win. In the NBA or in soccer, you can recover, come back from a loss and that negative feeling. In fighting, one loss can drop you three or four steps and really sink you, changing your entire perspective — especially in the UFC. So let’s go for another fight." This perspective underscores the critical importance of each win, particularly for a fighter striving to break into the divisional rankings.
A significant figure in Nascimento’s corner throughout much of his UFC career has been former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Oliveira, a fellow Chute Boxe representative, recently defeated Mateusz Gamrot in October and followed that performance with a dominant grappling display against Max Holloway to claim the BMF belt earlier this year. Nascimento referenced Oliveira’s journey, stating, "Charles opened the doors in the UFC, and now it’s time to keep stacking wins."
Nascimento also used the opportunity to address what he perceived as unfair criticism directed at Oliveira’s BMF title victory over Holloway, a fight that saw Oliveira employ a grappling-heavy strategy. "He won, he became BMF champion, but what really matters is going on his Sherdog and Tapology [pages] and seeing that green win mark," Nascimento remarked. "A lot of people talk but they don’t know what’s at stake with Charles beating Max. People who talk are completely on the outside, they just want entertainment, not the sport. Charles dominated, showed high-level MMA, incredible quality. He put himself on a higher level in pursuit of even greater achievements."
Nascimento defended Oliveira’s strategic approach, emphasizing that victory, rather than solely entertainment, is the paramount objective for professional fighters. "We need to entertain the fans, get the crowd going, but at the end of the day, we need to secure the win," he clarified. "No disrespect to Max Holloway, of course, but Charles made it look easy using his strongest weapon, which is jiu-jitsu. We know Charles’ technical level in striking, his power, but we also know there are paths that are better, some more difficult, and he chose the most solid path. We saw how much higher his level is compared to Max Holloway and other UFC athletes." This commentary highlights the internal perspective of fighters who prioritize a definitive victory through any effective means, even if it does not always align with fan expectations for a stand-up war.
His opponent, Mitch Raposo, enters UFC Vegas 119 under considerable pressure, holding a 1-2 record within the promotion following prior defeats on Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter. Despite Raposo’s recent struggles, Nascimento has expressed a respectful assessment of his opponent, describing him as "explosive" and vowing to "find the right openings in his game to get the win." This professional approach indicates Nascimento’s focus on tactical execution regardless of his opponent’s record.
The balance between dominance, entertainment, and securing a win is a recurring theme for Nascimento. He acknowledged the UFC’s increasing emphasis on entertainment, particularly with new partnerships such as Paramount. "We’re talking about MMA," Nascimento stated. "We know the UFC likes entertainment, especially now with Paramount involved. The push to hype the crowd and bring in more fans is bigger than ever." However, he underscored the ultimate necessity of victory for career longevity. "But as I always say, a win guarantees much more than just entertainment. We see many fighters who are entertaining and put on great fights and excite the crowd, but three or four losses later they’re out of the UFC." This pragmatic outlook highlights the cutthroat nature of the UFC, where sustained success through wins remains the most critical factor for a fighter’s career progression and security.
As Allan Nascimento prepares for his crucial flyweight bout, the stakes extend beyond just a fifth consecutive victory. A dominant performance could serve as an undeniable statement to the ranking panelists, forcing a reevaluation of his standing in the division and potentially paving his path into the coveted top 15. The fight at UFC Vegas 119 represents not just another contest, but a significant opportunity for Nascimento to validate his consistent performance and challenge the perceived inconsistencies of the UFC’s ranking system.
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