Iuri Alcantara

Iuri 'Marajó' Alcantara is a Brazilian mixed martial artist born on Marajó island in Pará who built his early reputation fighting regionally in Brazil starting in 2003. After a lengthy journey through smaller promotions, he won the Jungle Fight lightweight tournament in 2010 and joined the UFC in 2011 as part of the WEC merger. Competing primarily at featherweight and bantamweight over the next seven years, Alcantara established himself as a technical grappler with a dangerous submission game, capable of rattling even ranked opponents like Urijah Faber early in fights before falling to their wrestling control.

Alcantara's fighting style centered on submissions and sudden bursts of striking. He earned three Performance of the Night bonuses for finishes against Brad Pickett (triangle choke), Luke Sanders (a dramatic second-round kneebar comeback that ranked among 2017's best submissions), and Joe Soto (body kick and ground and pound). He was durable enough to absorb sustained pressure but lacked the wrestling or conditioning to grind out victories against larger, pressing opponents, leading to decision losses to Rivera, Faber, and others. By his final UFC bout in August 2018 against Cory Sandhagen, Alcantara locked in a tight armbar early but could not finish, ultimately losing via TKO in the second round in a Fight of the Night bout.

Released by the UFC in 2020, Alcantara competed sparingly afterward. Over his 17-year career, he amassed a 35-10 record and became known as a journeyman who brought technical grappling and submission savvy to every fight, winning respect from fans for his willingness to hunt finishes and scramble rather than play safe. His legacy is that of a longtime professional who maximized regional success and earned his place in the UFC's deep bantamweight history through submission excellence and fight-night excitement.