Felipe Franco

Felipe Franco, a 23-year-old Brazilian fighter competing at light heavyweight with an orthodox stance, holds a 10-2 professional record but has struggled recently, dropping his last two UFC appearances. Franco operates as a volume grappler, averaging 3.02 takedowns per 15 minutes with solid 87% takedown defense, though his 37% takedown accuracy suggests inconsistency in securing position.

His striking remains limited at 1.81 strikes landed per minute with 50% accuracy, while absorbing 2.55 strikes per minute and defending just 38% of incoming strikes—a significant vulnerability that has proven costly. Franco's cardio score of 40.4 indicates conditioning concerns that may compound his defensive deficiencies over three-round bouts.

Most recently, he was submitted by Freddy Vidal in the third round (September 2025), and prior to that lost a unanimous decision to Mario Pinto (March 2026). Without submission threat (0.0 average) or knockout power, Franco relies entirely on takedown-based wrestling, but his low striking defense and recent losses suggest he struggles against opponents who can neutralize his grappling attempts while maintaining offensive output.

His path forward requires significant improvements in both striking defense and grappling consistency to remain competitive in the division.