With a 101-3 record across his amateur and pro career, 23-year-old Lucas Rafael is a walking highlight tape. His 5-0 record between MMA and Kickboxing in 2025 was capped off with his third straight knockout in MMA. This becomes more impressive when added to the WGP Kickboxing Tournament Championship he won in September. Rafael is now 6-0 in MMA with finishes in his last four.
Before we get into Rafael’s December win, check out our articles featuring Emily Martins and Tiago Pereira, who were both in heavy contention for this award as well.
Brazilian Prospect of the Month: December – Lucas Rafael
Rafael faced Muay Thai veteran Maycon Jonnie (5-1) at SFT 58 in a true clash of styles bout. Coming out in the southpaw stance, Rafael countered a body kick with a clean right hook in the opening seconds. Jonnie’s early aggression forced Rafael to the cage, where he countered with some heavy hooks at the end of his opponent’s combination. Rafael continued to circle on the outside while his opponent tracked him. Another body kick from Jonnie was caught, leading to two takedowns for Rafael despite his opponent getting back to his feet quickly. A clinch followed, allowing both men to work in some nice knees before disengaging. A big exchange showed the defensive prowess of both men, who both threw some big shots but evaded cleanly. After landing a sharp right hook to the body, Rafael ate a low knee, pausing the action. When the fight resumed, Rafael fired leg and body kicks before his opponent forced him to the cage in another clinch. With his back on the cage, Rafael landed a beautiful inside trip, getting the fight to the ground and keeping it there for the final minute.
The second round started similarly to the first, with Jonnie being the aggressor and taking the center of the cage. After forcing another early clinch, he was tripped and taken down yet again by the kickboxer, who showed why he was much more than just a striker. After they got back to their feet, Rafael landed a lead push kick and a roundhouse in combination. The roundhouse sent Jonnie into the cage, allowing Rafael to land another glancing high kick. It was clear that Rafael found his range and flow, as he followed with a clean question mark kick and a pair of devastating rear body kicks. After eating another push kick to the body, Jonnie wrapped up another clinch, allowing Rafael to land knees and shoulder strikes. These led to a clean toss right into mount for Rafael, who rained down GnP in an effort to get the stoppage. Jonnie flipped to his back to try and escape, but instead trapped himself on his stomach. Rafael yelled at the ref to stop the fight while continuing to land punches, and after 20 seconds, the ref obliged.
The win showcased major improvements in Rafael’s grappling, while still highlighting his dynamic kickboxing. His three opponents this year combined for a 14-4 record, showing a strong level of competition along with improvements. Rafael earned his second professional win at just 19 years old against Neemias Santana, who appeared on Week 1 of DWCS this past season. After going 86-1 in his amateur kickboxing career that started at 13, Rafael is now 9-2 as a pro kickboxer and is slated to fight for WGP’s official championship after winning their tournament last year. With plans to fight at least three times in 2026, his record, résumé, and style would be tough to pass up for a DWCS opportunity. Lucas Rafael rightfully earns the honor of Brazilian Prospect of the Month to round out 2025.
Honorable Mentions
Tiago Pereira improved to 10-0 with an 80-second submission win over Davi Almeida (8-3) at Jungle Fight 143.
Emily Martins improved to 5-1 with a 104-second submission win over Alexa Conners (8-5) at CFFC 149.
Paulo Victor improved to 10-1 with a split decision win over Francisco Flavio (7-2) at Shooto Brasil 134.
Zion Silva improved to 4-0 with a Round 1 headkick KO over Wemerson Santano (1-0) at MMA University 3.