Rafael Cavalcante

	Name	Rafael Cavalcante
	Nickname	Feijao
	Association	Team Nogueira
	Weight Class	Light Heavyweight (205 lbs.)
	Height	6' 2" (188cm)
	Style	Muay Thai
	Birth Date	January 11, 1981
	Fighting Out Of	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
	Country	Brazil
	Rafael Cavalcante Pictures	Official Website

Rafael Cavalcante, often announced as Rafael Feijao, is an Brazilian mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Light Heavyweight division. He trains with both Anderson Silva (current UFC Middleweight champion) and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. He currently competes in the Strikeforce promotion, where he is their Light Heavyweight Champion.

Professional Record

Record	11 - 3 - 0 (Win – Loss – Draw) (1 NC)
Wins	10 (T)KOs 1 Submissions 0 Decisions
Losses	2 (T)KOs 0 Submissions 0 Decisions 1 Other

Result	Opponent	Method	Event Title	Date	Round	Time	Notes
No Contest	Mike Kyle	No Decision (Overturned by CSAC)	Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier	5/19/2012	1	0:33	Originally won by submission but tested positive for banned substance
Win	Yoel Romero Palacio	KO (Punches)	Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov	9/10/2011	2	4:51
Loss	Dan Henderson	TKO (Punches)	Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson	3/05/2011	3	0:50	Lost Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship
Win	Muhammed Lawal	TKO (Elbows and Punches)	Strikeforce: Houston	8/21/2010	3	1:14	Won Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship
Win	Antwain Britt	KO (Punches)	Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery	5/15/2010	1	3:45
Win	Aaron Rosa	TKO (Punches)	Strikeforce Challengers 5: Woodley vs. Bears	11/20/2009	2	3:25
Loss	Mike Kyle	TKO (Punches)	Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields	6/06/2009	2	4:05
Win	Travis Galbraith	TKO (Knees)	EliteXC: Unfinished Business	7/26/2008	1	3:01
Win	Wayne Cole	TKO (Knee and Punches)	EliteXC: The Return of the King	6/14/2008	1	1:47
Win	John Doyle	KO (Knee to the Body)	EliteXC: Street Certified	2/16/2008	1	2:17
Loss	Marcio Cruz	DQ (Illegal Kick)	IFL: Las Vegas	6/16/2007	3	3:42
Win	Devin Cole	TKO (Punches)	IFL: Atlanta	2/23/2007	2	0:26
Win	Rubens Macula	Submission (Punches)	MF 5: Minotauro Fights 5	12/09/2006	1	2:30
Win	Miodrag Petkovic	TKO (Knee and Punches)	WFC: Europe vs. Brazil	5/20/2006	2	1:37
Win	Eduardo Maiorino	TKO	PC: Pantanal Combat	2/10/2006	1	N/A

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Cavalcante began competing in mixed martial arts in 2006, going on a four-fight win streak before succumbing to his first loss to UFC veteran Marcio Cruz.

EliteXC Career

After his first career loss, Cavalcante signed with the now-defunct EliteXC. In his debut with the promotion, "Feijao" fought John Doyle at EliteXC: Street Certified. At 2:17 of the first round, Cavalcante defeated Doyle via KO (Knee to the Body).

He would then go on to fight twice more under the EliteXC banner, finishing both fights in the first round as well. Cavalcante defeated Wayne Cole and Travis Galbraith via TKO.

Strikeforce Career

With the demise of EliteXC and the acquisition of its assets by the San Jose based Strikeforce promotion, where he was given a title shot against Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Renato Sobral, but when Sobral was forced to withdraw from the fight because his wife was giving birth, Cavalcante was then slated to fight Jared Hamman. Hamman was then forced to withdraw due to injury and UFC veteran Mike Kyle stepped in. Kyle would go on to defeat Cavalcante in the second round via TKO (Punches).

Cavalcante returned to action at Strikeforce Challengers 5: Woodley vs. Bears on November 20, 2009 against Aaron Rosa, whom he defeated via TKO (Punches) at 3:25 of the second round.

He then signed to compete on the main card of Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery, where he faced off against Antwain Britt. After some early jostling for position, Britt unleashed a flurry of punches to the body and uppercuts to the chin that staggered Cavalcante. But Britt couldn't finish, and a Cavalcante clinch led to a restart by the referee. It was all he needed, as Cavalcante delivered a powerful overhand right that staggered Britt, and a continued flurry dropped Britt and forced the end of the bout at the 3:45 mark of the first frame. The stoppage earned Cavalcante the win by KO (Punches).

Strikeforce set up a Catchweight bout between Robbie Lawler and Renato Sobral, with title implications for either fighter in their respective weight classes. Sobral went on to win and it earned him a shot at Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Muhammed Lawal, but Sobral turned the fight down because he and Lawal are friends and training partners. In the end, Strikeforce signed Cavalcante as the title challenger, and the fight took place on August 21, 2010 at Strikeforce: Houston.

Down two rounds to none after Lawal was just a little faster, just a little crisper, Cavalcante appeared to be fading as time wore on. But the daringly low hands of Lawal finally provided the opening Cavalcante needed. Unable to pull his head back enough to avoid the blow, Lawal tasted a firm right hand on the chin. Wobbled by the blow, Lawal returned to his roots and shot in from the outside. But as he had throughout the fight, Cavalcante shucked off the attempt and delivered a powerful knee in the clinch. Lawal staggered back, and Cavalcante refused to let him off the hook. A wild right hand clipped Lawal's chin, and the belt holder was flat on his back.

Lawal showed heart in working back to his feet and instinctually looking for the takedown, but Cavalcante simply pinned himself against the cage and delivered a stunning array of elbows to the head. Lawal refused to drop, but his body swayed and rocked, and referee "Big" John McCarthy wisely called off the fight 74 seconds into the third round, handing Cavalcante the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.

Championships and Accomplishments

• Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (2010)