Raufeon Stots (born December 16, 1988) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

and graduated collegiate wrestler. He currently competes in the

Bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...

division of

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

, where he is a former Interim Bellator Bantamweight Champion. As a wrestler, he is a two-time NCAA Division II champion.

Background

Stots grew up modestly in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, with his mother and two brothers. He started

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

in his

junior year A junior is a person in the third year at an educational institution in the US and some other countries, usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. I ...

at Klein Oak High School in Klein, Texas, after the passing of his mother. He then earned a scholarship at Labette Community College and became an

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

with a fourth-place finish in the NJCAA level as a

freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or colloquially frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational in ...

. As a

sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educatio ...

, he once again qualified for the NJCAA tournament, but did not place. He then transferred to the University of Nebraska-Kearney (

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...

), where he was forced to take a medical redshirt instead of a junior season. When he came back as a junior, he won his first DII title with a record of 30 wins and 6 losses, helping the

team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to in ...

reach the team title. As a

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

, he compiled his second NCAA title and helped the team win the team championship before graduating. When transferring from

collegiate wrestling Collegiate wrestling, commonly referred to as folkstyle wrestling, is the form of wrestling practiced at the post-secondary level in the United States. This style of wrestling is also practiced at the high school, middle school, and elementary ...

to mixed martial arts, Stots found that it wasn't only his work ethic but also the body awareness that helped him move over and adapt to the new sport quickly. During his transition, fellow Nebraska wrestler-turned-mixed martial artist

Kamaru Usman Kamarudeen Usman (born May 11, 1987) is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle wrestler, and graduated folkstyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championsh ...

, took Stots under his wing as a mentor.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Stots got into

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

after being introduced to the sport by Jens Pulver and

Pat Miletich Patrick Jay Miletich (; born March 9, 1968) is a retired Americans, American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC W ...

. After turning pro in May 2015, he compiled 8 wins and no losses before competing at a regional event featured on the ''Lookin' for a Fight'' show, in an attempt of getting signed by the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

. After losing the bout, he compiled 4 more wins before getting signed by

. Stots chose to sign with Bellator out of LFA due to where he saw the promotion heading. Stots said the signing of prospects in the sport instead of former UFC fighters was a big reason, giving him the opportunity to fight some of the best in the world. In addition to that, the Grand Prix tournaments put on by the promotion was another deciding factor for Stots.

Bellator MMA

In his promotional debut, Stots faced Cheyden Leialoha on December 21, 2019, at Bellator 236. He won the bout by unanimous decision. Stots faced Cass Bell on July 24, 2020, at Bellator 242. He won the match via submission in the third round. Stots faced Keith Lee at Bellator 253 on November 19, 2020. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Stots faced Josh Hill at Bellator 258 on May 7, 2021. He won the bout via unanimous decision. Stots was scheduled to face Magomed Magomedov on July 31, 2021, at

Bellator 263 Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKee was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on July 31, 2021, at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The event marked Bellator's first outside of the Mohegan Sun bubble and the first Be ...

. On July 19, it was announced that the bout was scratched from the event. It was rescheduled for Bellator 264 on August 13, 2021. Stots won the bout via unanimous decision.

Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix and Interim Champ

In the first round bout of the $1 million Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix Tournament, Stots was scheduled to face Sergio Pettis for the Bellator Bantamweight World Championship on April 23, 2022, at Bellator 279. However, Pettis was forced to pull out of the bout and the Grand Prix after sustaining an injury that required surgery, resulting in

Juan Archuleta Juan Archuleta (born September 13, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight divisions of Bellator MMA and Rizin Fighting Federation, where in the latter promotion, he is the former Rizin Bantamweight Champion. ...

taking his place and the bout now being held for the Interim Bellator Bantamweight World Championship. Stots won the bout and became the interim champion after knocking down Archuleta with a head kick and then finishing him on the ground with elbows at the beginning of the third round. In the

semi-finals A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, ...

, Stots faced Danny Sabatello on December 9, 2022, in the main event at Bellator 289. He won the fight via controversial split decision. 4 out of 6 media outlets scored it for Stots. In the

finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

, Stots faced Patchy Mix on April 22, 2023, at Bellator 295. He lost the bout and the title, getting knocked out in the first round with a step up knee. Stots rematched Danny Sabatello on November 17, 2023, at

Bellator 301 ''Bellator 301: Amosov vs. Jackson'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on November 17, 2023, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The event marked the final event to air on Showtime, an ...

. In a thrilling bout, Stots won the bout via unanimous decision. Stots was scheduled to face Marcos Breno on September 7, 2024, at Bellator Champions Series 4. However, the bout was removed from the event for unknown reasons. The bout was rescheduled to instead take place on October 19, 2024, at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants. Stots won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round.

Personal life

Stots is married to Michaela whom he met in college. She is an educator and mother. Stots has two sons.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** Bellator Interim Bantamweight World Championship (One time) ***One successful title defence

Folkstyle wrestling

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Division II

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...

out of

University of Nebraska at Kearney The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) is a campus of the public University of Nebraska system and located in Kearney, Nebraska. It was founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney. History In March 1903 the Nebraska S ...

(2012, 2013) **

out of

(2012, 2013) *

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, State college (disambiguation), state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 sepa ...

out of Labette Community College (2009)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 21–2 , Marcos Breno , Submission (rear-naked choke) , PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:01 ,

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

, Saudi Arabia , , - , Win , align=center, 20–2 , Danny Sabatello , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–2 , Patchy Mix , KO (knee) , Bellator 295 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–1 , Danny Sabatello , Decision (split) , Bellator 289 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is a village in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is located in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–1 ,

, KO (head kick and elbows) , Bellator 279 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:16 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–1 , Magomed Magomedov , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 264 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–1 , Josh Hill , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 258 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1 , Keith Lee , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 253 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Cass Bell , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 242 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:24 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Cheyden Leialoha , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 236 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Ralph Acosta , Decision (unanimous) , LFA 68 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Levi Mowles , Decision (unanimous) , LFA 55 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Ryan Lilley , TKO (punches) , LFA 48 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Kearney, Nebraska Kearney ( ) is the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 33,790 in the 2020 census, making it the 5th most populous city in Nebraska. It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward pus ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Arnold Berdon , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Victory FC 59 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:36 ,

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, United States , , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–1 ,

Merab Dvalishvili Merab Dvalishvili ( ka, მერაბ დვალიშვილი ; born January 10, 1991) is a Georgian and American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championsh ...

, KO (spinning backfist) , Ring of Combat 59 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:15 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

, United States , , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Rob Emerson , Decision (unanimous) , Victory FC 56 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 ,

Jeff Curran Jeff Curran (born September 2, 1977) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1998 to 2016, Curran fought at a number of different weight classes for a large number of promotions including Bella ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Victory FC 53 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 67,314, making it the List of cities in Iowa, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Charlie DuBray , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Victory FC 52 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:52 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , William Joplin , KO (punch) , Victory FC 49 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:18 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Demetrius Wilson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Victory FC 47 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:45 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Rob Menigoz , Decision (unanimous) , United Combat League: Cut Throath , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the Li ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Mitch White , Decision (unanimous) , Legacy FC 43 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hinckley, Minnesota Hinckley is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States, located at the junction of Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highway 48. The population was 1,800 at the 2010 census. Hinckley's name in the Ojibwe language is ''Gaa-zhiigwanaabiko ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Mike Hebdon , TKO (punches) , Extreme Challenge 232 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:35 ,

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, United States ,

NCAA record

! colspan="8", NCAA Division II Championships Matches , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2013 NCAA (DII) Championships at 149 lbs , - , Win , 8–0 , align=left, Jacobd Horn , style="font-size:88%", 4-3 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, March 8–9, 2013 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2013 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 7-0 , align=left, James Martinez , style="font-size:88%", MD 12-4 , - , Win , 6–0 , align=left, Ryan Maus , style="font-size:88%", 6-1 , - , Win , 5–0 , align=left, Nate Herda , style="font-size:88%", 3-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2012 NCAA (DII) Championships at 149 lbs , - , Win , 4–0 , align=left, John Hagerty , style="font-size:88%", 5-4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, March 9–10, 2012 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2012 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 3-0 , align=left, Ky Corley , style="font-size:88%", 6-1 , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Nate Herda , style="font-size:88%", 8-5 , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Nathan Link , style="font-size:88%", MD 12-4 , -

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stots, Raufeon Living people American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers 1988 births Nebraska–Kearney Lopers wrestlers Martial artists from Houston University of Nebraska at Kearney alumni American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male mixed martial artists Bantamweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American sportspeople of Nigerian descent Mixed martial artists from Texas