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33-1 bantamweight Luis Rafael welcomes tougher opponents, says ‘UFC needs a fighter like me’

Luis Rafael doesn’t want to be known as a can crusher in MMA. In fact, he has changed a lot of things in his life and career since suffering his first defeat.

“Japa” compiled an impressive 31-0 record in three years as a professional between 2012 and 2015, finishing 28 opponents at both bantamweight and featherweight divisions. In 2013 alone, he fought and won 21 times. However, many of those wins came against newcomers or opponents that were below .500.

Kicking off his fourth year in the sport in 2016, Rafael was stopped by Fabricio Sarraff by knockout just seconds into the second round.