Levi Rodrigues Jr. vs. Felipe Franco
UFC Fight Night · July 18, 2026 · Paycom Center
OddsLevi Rodrigues Jr. -142·Felipe Franco +120(DraftKings)
Felipe Franco def. Levi Rodrigues Jr. — TKO (punches), R2 1:40
Franco won as picked — but he broke his own first-round-or-bust pattern to do it. After eating some early shots from the Muay Thai striker, he closed distance behind his footwork and got his takedowns, and in round two a sharp right hand set up another takedown into full mount, where ground-and-pound ended it at 1:40. All ten of his prior wins came in round one; his first UFC win came in the second, and it earned Performance of the Night.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
Whatever happens, it happens fast. Franco should shoot immediately — every second spent striking is a coin flip against a man who has knocked out everyone he's touched. If the takedown comes, Franco chokes him in round one; if Rodrigues keeps it standing for three minutes, the Muay Thai power ends it. Franco's dual threat makes him the slight pick, but nobody should blink.
The Matchup
Two Brazilian finishers with a combined zero decision wins — and completely opposite clocks. Franco is a first-round-or-bust fighter: all ten wins inside five minutes, both losses when it went longer. Rodrigues has finished everyone too but showed a third-round gas tank on the regional scene. Franco's grappling (88% takedown defense, choke-heavy finishing) gives him two paths; Rodrigues has exactly one, and it's the one that's never failed him. Franco's 38% striking defense standing across from a 100% KO rate is the number that decides this.
Tale of the Tape
| Levi Rodrigues Jr. | Felipe Franco | |
|---|---|---|
| 5-0 (1 NC) | Record | 10-2 |
| 29 | Age | 25 |
| 6'0" | Height | 6'1" |
| 76.5" | Reach | 75" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| Brazil | Country | Brazil |
| Inside Muay Thai (São Paulo) | Team | Galpão da Luta (Salvador) |
The Numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
Levi Rodrigues Jr.
“Baby Monster”
A São Paulo Muay Thai black belt with five pro wins, five knockouts, plus a 7-0 amateur run. His Contender Series finish of Freddy Vidal was overturned to a no contest after he tested positive for nandrolone — he served the suspension and Dana White signed him anyway. Tonight is his official UFC debut, carrying both heavy hands and an asterisk he'll want to punch through.
- NCFreddy Vidal · No contest (R1 TKO overturned, positive nandrolone test)Dana White's Contender Series S9 finale · October 14, 2025
- WAlan Ribeiro · KO/TKO, R1 2:47LFA 216 · September 5, 2025
- WJhonny Pereira · TKO (injury), R3 0:21MMA University 1 · April 26, 2025
Felipe Franco
“Negão”
A 25-year-old from Jailton Almeida's Galpão da Luta gym in Salvador — BJJ black belt, judo brown belt, and ten wins that are all finishes, every one of them in the first round. The pattern in the losses is just as clean: both came in fights that escaped round one, including a decision to Mario Pinto in his UFC debut in March.
- LMario Pinto · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs. Murphy · March 21, 2026
- WDouglas Felipe Santos · Submission (rear-naked choke), R1 4:07Mamute Fight Champion 10 · February 7, 2026
- WKleberson Tavares · KO/TKO, R1 0:32Coliseu Extreme Fight 14 · December 11, 2025