Marcos Degli accuses Mitch Raposo of 'padded record' ahead of UFC Vegas 124 debut

Brazilian flyweight Marcos Degli is talking big before his UFC debut against Mitch Raposo at UFC Vegas 124 tonight, Saturday, November 7, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. On fight day MMA Fighting published an interview with Degli headlined "Marcos Degli believes UFC wants Mitch Raposo out, accuses him of 'padded record'", building on comments Degli made earlier in fight week about the American's decision-heavy UFC run.

"I fight to finish"

Speaking to Brazilian outlet Sexto Round on Tuesday, as reported by Sherdog, Degli pointed to the contrast between the two records.

"All of his four UFC fights (two losses and two wins) went to a decision. I fight to finish," Degli said. "Of my 15 MMA wins, nine are by knockout and five by submission. He better be ready, because my focus is to debut with both feet in the door, taking the bonus and asking for a big name in the Octagon."

The 26-year-old also set out long-term goals that go well beyond Saturday night. "When I win on Saturday I'll already be calling out a big name. I came to make history," he said. "A lot of people say I look physically like Demetrious Johnson, who for me is one of the great legends of the sport. And my focus isn't just to be champion, I want to break his record."

Degli vs Raposo: the numbers

Degli enters at 15-3 and has finished 14 of his 15 wins. He held the LFA title before earning his shot on Dana White's Contender Series in September, where he beat Paris Moran to secure a UFC contract. A Vale Top Team teammate of Carlos Prates, Degli told MMA Fighting before that Contender Series bout that his plan is to become "the Carlos Prates of the flyweight division."

Raposo, 11-3, from Fall River, Massachusetts, was the first overall pick on Team Volkanovski on The Ultimate Fighter 29 and made his UFC debut in June 2024. All four of his UFC fights have gone the full 15 minutes:

• Loss to Andre Lima by split decision (June 2024)
• Loss to Su Mudaerji by split decision (April 2025)
• Win over Azat Maksum by unanimous decision (October 2025)
• Win over Allan Nascimento by split decision (June 20, 2026)

Before the UFC, Raposo did show finishing ability: his official UFC profile lists four wins by knockout and three by submission.

What's at stake

Raposo comes in on a two-fight win streak and has a chance to silence the criticism against a heavily hyped newcomer. According to a betting breakdown by UFCalendar, the sportsbook consensus has Degli as roughly a -238 favourite, with Raposo around +196.

The UFC Vegas 124 card is headlined by heavyweights Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Johnny Walker, with Tatiana Suarez vs Virna Jandiroba in the strawweight co-main event. Prelims start at 5 p.m. ET and the main card at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+ in the United States.

POP MMA will update this story with the result of Degli vs Raposo.