Saimon Oliveira

Saimon Oliveira is a 34-year-old Brazilian bantamweight with one of the strongest pre-UFC records in the current roster: 18-7 overall, with 11 submission victories and five knockouts. A Muay Thai master who held the Aspera FC championship, Oliveira's signature weapon is the submission, particularly the guillotine (seven career wins by that technique alone). He debuted as a pro in 2013 and spent over a decade building a finisher's reputation, with 16 of his 16 most recent wins coming by stoppage before stepping into the octagon in January 2022.

His UFC tenure, however, has been a sharp reversal. Since his debut loss to Tony Gravely at UFC 270, Oliveira has won zero UFC fights. He has lost to Daniel Marcos, David Martinez, and Luan Lacerda, all by stoppage, culminating in a recent armbar submission at UFC Rio in October 2025. That fight was itself marred by a stunning nine-pound weight miss: Oliveira weighed in at 144 pounds for a 135-pound bantamweight bout, forcing a catchweight adjustment and a forfeit of half his purse. The incident raises questions about his professionalism and commitment to the sport.

Oliveira still possesses finishing instincts and submission skills, but the evidence suggests the gap between regional competition and the UFC has proven too wide. His combination of age (34), a zero-win UFC record, and recent weight-cut failures has relegated him to gatekeeper status: a test for rising prospects, not a threat to contenders. Fans curious about what made him dangerous early in his career can watch clips of his regional dominance, but his current form offers little hope of a resurgence at the elite level.