Vinicius Oliveira Reveals Trio of Injuries Before UFC Fight Night 266 Loss

The Brazilian bantamweight prospect suffered his first UFC defeat against Mario Bautista.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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Vinicius Oliveira opened up about the challenges he faced leading up to his UFC Fight Night 266 main event bout against Mario Bautista, revealing he had three separate injuries during his training camp - a rotator cuff injury, a meniscus injury, and a fractured arm. Despite these setbacks, the 32-year-old Brazilian went through with the fight, but was ultimately submitted by Bautista in the second round, suffering his first loss in the UFC after a 4-0 start.

Why it matters

Oliveira's injuries and first UFC defeat raise questions about the physical toll of high-level MMA training and competition, as well as the difficult decisions fighters must make when faced with injuries heading into a big fight. The loss also puts a temporary halt to Oliveira's momentum as he looked to break into title contention in the bantamweight division.

The details

Oliveira (23-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was submitted by a rear-naked choke in the second round against Bautista (17-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 266 in Las Vegas. In a social media post after the fight, Oliveira revealed he had been dealing with three separate injuries during his training camp - a rotator cuff injury, a meniscus injury, and a fractured arm. Despite these setbacks, the Brazilian fighter decided to still compete, but was ultimately outmatched by Bautista, who has now won nine of his last 10 fights.

  • Oliveira made his UFC debut in September 2023 through Dana White's Contender Series.
  • Oliveira had won his first four UFC fights before suffering his first loss against Bautista on February 8, 2026.

The players

Vinicius Oliveira

A 32-year-old Brazilian bantamweight prospect who suffered his first UFC loss against Mario Bautista after starting his UFC career 4-0.

Mario Bautista

A UFC bantamweight who defeated Oliveira via second-round submission, bouncing back from a decision loss to Umar Nurmagomedov in his previous fight.

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What they’re saying

“Well, earthlings, things went wrong again. I've lost count of how many times I've lost in my life, but every time I've gotten up and moved on. I'm sad for my team and for everyone who was cheering for me, but anyway, no sad stories, let's move on to another journey. I did the impossible, I dropped below 84kg again, I had 3 injuries during this fight camp: a rotator cuff injury, a meniscus injury, and also a fracture in my arm, but I'm still the best, the terror has a name! Yeeeeeeah!”

— Vinicius Oliveira (Instagram)

What’s next

Oliveira will look to rebound from his first UFC loss and get back on track in the bantamweight division.

The takeaway

Oliveira's candid admission about the injuries he battled through highlights the physical sacrifices and risks fighters take to compete at the highest level of MMA. Despite the setback, the 32-year-old Brazilian remains determined to prove he is one of the top bantamweights in the UFC.