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

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

and graduated collegiate wrestler currently competing in the bantamweight division of

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

, where he is the current Interim Bellator Bantamweight Champion. As a wrestler, he is a two-time NCAA Division II champion. As of December 13, 2022, he is #9 in the Bellator men's pound-for-pound rankings.

Background

Stots grew up modestly in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

with his mother and two brothers. He started

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

in his

junior year A junior is person in the third 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 educational institutions. In United States high schools, a junio ...

Klein Oak High School Klein Oak High School is a public high school serving students grades 9– 12 in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. The school's principal is Thomas Hensley. It was established August 1982. Klein Oak was the third high school established in ...

Klein, Texas Klein is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, United States, roughly bordering Texas State Highway 99 to the north, Texas State Highway 249 to the west, Interstate 45 to the east, and the city of Houston to the south. It includes ...

after the passing of his mother. He then earned a scholarship at

Labette Community College Labette Community College (LCC) is a public community college in Parsons, Kansas, United States. LCC's main campus is situated in Parsons and satellite campuses are located in Cherokee, Oswego and Pittsburg. The mascot of the school is Chris t ...

and became an All-American with a fourth-place finish in the NJCAA level as a

freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or 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 institutions. Ara ...

. 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 educational institutions. In ...

, 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 an 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 environmen ...

), where he was forced to take a

medical redshirt Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...

instead of a

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...

season. When he came back as a

, 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 (academic), Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interde ...

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 (also known as folkstyle wrestling) is the form of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in the United States. This style of wrestling, with some slight modifications, is also practiced at high school and mi ...

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 at Kearney wrestler-turned-MMA

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

took Stots under his wing as a mentor. Usman was pushed to Stots by his mother due to the Nigerian roots both wrestlers shared.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Stots got into

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

after being introduced to the sport by

Jens Pulver Jens Johnnie Pulver (born December 6, 1974) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist and undefeated boxer and kickboxer. Pulver was the inaugural UFC Lightweight Champion in addition to serving as the head coach on '' The Ultim ...

and

Pat Miletich Patrick Jay Miletich (; born March 9, 1966) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC ...

. 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 Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. 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 B ...

. On July 19, it was announced that the bout was scratched from the event. It was rescheduled for

Bellator 264 Bellator 264: Mousasi vs. Salter was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on August 13, 2021 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Background Current Bellator Middleweight World Champion Gegard M ...

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 Sergio Jerome Pettis (born August 18, 1993) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently signed with Bellator MMA, where he is the current Bellator Bantamweight Champion. Prior to signing with Bellator, Pettis competed in the Ultimate Fi ...

for the

Bellator Bantamweight World Championship Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded B ...

on April 23, 2022, at

Bellator 279 ''Bellator 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA held on April 23, 2022, at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Background The main event featured Bellator Women's Fea ...

. 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 (MMA), Bantamweight division of Bellator MMA, and he is the former Bellator Bantamweight Champion. A professional MMA competitor sinc ...

taking his place and the bout now being held for the Interim

. 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 each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...

, Stots faced Danny Sabatello on December 9, 2022 in the main event at

Bellator 289 ''Bellator 289: Stots vs. Sabatello'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on December 9, 2022, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, United States. Background The semi-finals of the $1-mill ...

. He won the fight via split decision.

Personal life

Stots has a son, Clarence (born 2018).

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed Martial Arts

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

Folkstyle wrestling

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division II

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

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 Sta ...

(2012, 2013) **

All-American out of

(2012, 2013) *

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

All-American out of

(2009)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 19–1 , Danny Sabatello , Decision (split) ,

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

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

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

, KO (knee and elbows) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:16 ,

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–1 , Magomed Magomedov , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , 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 the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

, 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 30,787 in the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The westward push of the railroad as the Civil War ended gave new birt ...

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

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

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

Merab Dvalishvili Merab Dvalishvili (born January 10, 1991) is a Georgian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of March 13, 2023, he is #1 in the UFC bantamweight ra ...

, KO (spinning backfist) , ROC 59 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:15 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 ,

Rob Emerson Robert Michael Emerson (born July 30, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2002, Emerson is also a veteran of Bellator MMA, the UFC, Pancrase, and was a cast member of ''The Ultimate Fighter 5' ...

, Decision (unanimous) , VFC 56 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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

Jeff Curran Jeffrey Michael Curran (born September 2, 1977) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 1998, Curran has fought at a number of different weight classes for a large number of promotions includin ...

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

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

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

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

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

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

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Mitch White , Decision (unanimous) , LFC 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-zhiigwanaabikoka ...

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

Clinton, Iowa Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,469 as of 2020. Clinton, along with DeWitt (also located in Clinton County), was named in honor of the sixth governor of New York, DeWitt Cl ...

, 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 Sportspeople 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