Brazilian Fighters in UFC: Champions, Legends, and Rising Stars
- Brazil and MMA go together like peanut and jelly, so we’re celebrating this fighting nation’s champions, legends, and rising stars.
- From UFC 1 in 1993 to UFC 308 in 2024, Brazilian MMA fighters have been pillars of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- You can bet on UFC fights online quick & easy, similar to the rapid pace at which many Brazilian fighters finish their fights.
Good luck finding a UFC fan who can name his top-five all-time favorite fighters without mentioning a Brazilian. Whether it’s past legends such as Anderson Silva or current ones like Alex Pereira, keeping one of the most authoritative fighting nations in MMA history from the topic of conversation when the UFC’s greatest are discussed is damn near impossible.
It doesn’t matter if we’re discussing champions, legends, or rising stars from Brazil; placing this never-ending list of MMA greats by ranking is unfeasible. The following list is based on personal preference. Although not everyone will agree with my selections, this factor forced me to add an ‘honorable mentions’ section as a conclusion due to the sheer number of fighting talents Brazil has produced.
Top 5 Brazilian UFC Legends
1. Royce Gracie: Pathing the Way for Brazilian UFC Fighters
The Gracie family is a name that’s forever etched into the combat sports history books. As the creators of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it was fitting that the UFC itself was partly invented because of Rorion Gracie and that he enlisted his brother, Royce, to compete in the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship event. At the time, UFC weight-cutting rules didn’t exist, and events were one-night tournaments where fighters would compete multiple times to become ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’
Royce Gracie doesn’t have the most prolific UFC record, nor is one of the most popular Brazilian UFC champions, but without him, there’s a high probability that today’s list wouldn’t exist. Royce pioneered the sport, inspired generations to come, and, in turn, deserves a placement on our list.
The first-ever UFC Champion Was a Brazilian
Since Brazil has practiced Vale Tudo, the original mixed martial arts discipline with limited rules regarding fighting styles – since the early 1900s, it shouldn’t be surprising that the first-ever UFC champion hailed from Rio de Janeiro.
What’s most impressive about Royce Gracie’s success at UFC 1, 2, and 4 isn’t strictly focused on his jiu-jitsu prowess but how he would manhandle opponents weighing 30 to 40 pounds more than he did.
2. Anderson Silva: Hall of Fame Personified
The words I type on this page do not do justice to Anderson Silva’s MMA legacy. However, there’s no doubt that he’s arguably one of the greatest Brazilian-born fighters to have ever worked under the UFC banner.
When contemplating what creates a Hall of Fame-worthy fighter, “The Spider” ticks all the boxes. His reign as the 185lb UFC champ lasted six years; he barely took any damage during said reign, still holds the record for most finishes in UFC title fights (9) to this day, and the icing on the cake was that he’d deliver an emphatic performance every time he stepped into the cage.
Creating a Style for Generations to Come
High-volume, precision striking, with knockout potential from his hands and feet behind a muay thai style of kickboxing, Silva has inspired and touched generations long after his career. Fighters have admitted, including the former middleweight champ Israel Adesanya, that Silva’s fluent and mesmerizing approach to striking initially interested them in the sport.
He may not have concluded his fighting career how we dreamt up. However, this First Wing and Pioneer Wing UFC Hall of Famer still owns the longest title reign in UFC history (2457 days) and the most successful title defenses in UFC middleweight division history. As a result, this name will live on in history books.
3. Jose Aldo: “The King of Rio”
Regarding Brazilian UFC featherweights, nobody springs to mind quicker than Jose Aldo. Regarding the greatest Brazilian fighters in UFC history, nobody can challenge the Anderson Silva argument other than Jose Aldo “Junior.”
Between his stint in WEC and the company’s merger with the UFC in 2011, Aldo successfully defended featherweight gold on nine occasions! The record books might not show it, but Aldo’s presence spearheaded the 145lb weight class in any promotion, and those nine title defenses were also matched with an unbeaten streak in pro-MMA between 2006 and 2015 (19 consecutive wins).
He’s Not Done Yet
Aged 38, with a list of accomplishments longer than Victor Wembanyama’s wing span, you’d think Aldo would be complacent with his fighting career. Well, you’d be wrong. After retiring in 2022, “The King of Rio” got the itch and returned earlier this year to defeat a young, up-and-coming Jonathan Martinez. He was robbed of a second straight victory at UFC 307, but we won’t discuss that.
It doesn’t matter how far Aldo can take his current stint in the bantamweight division because his legacy is a foundation of Brazilian mixed martial arts. Win or lose, he’s loved, celebrated, and forever remembered by MMA fans, not just in Brazil but worldwide!
4. Alex Pereira: The Fastest Rising Brazilian MMA Superstar
The following entry still leaves many mixed martial arts enthusiasts in awe. Despite appearing in the UFC octagon on just ten occasions, Alex Pereira has already placed his name on the Mount Rushmore of Brazilian MMA fighters due to the sheer dominance he’s implanted in the cage.
Within three UFC fights, Pereira claimed the middleweight title by knocking out the formerly undefeated Israel Adesanya. He lost the title to Adesanya – his only loss to date – and became a two-division champion when capturing the 205lb strap.
In terms of records, Pereira’s superstar status has been boosted due to how he’s found success. He holds the distinction of having the shortest time and fewest fights to win championships in two divisions in UFC history (736 days) and the shortest time for three straight title defenses in UFC history (175 days). The latter happened this year, in 2024, and more impressively, Pereira took these three UFC title defenses on short notice and won each by knockout!
Another Knockout, Another Day in the Office for Poatan
If there were an equivalent of Mike Tyson’s knockout potential in MMA, Alex Pereira and his punch power would take the honors. He’s finished 7 of his nine opponents by knockout, but most impressively, five of these knockouts were championship fights!
As the only two-division champion in kickboxing and the UFC in combat sports history, should he retire tomorrow, “Poatan” has already done more than enough to mark himself as a Brazilian fighting legend. Luckily for us, he has no plans of hanging up the gloves anytime soon, and his reign as light heavyweight champ continues into 2025 and, hopefully, beyond!
5. Amanda Nunes: The Lioness of WMMA
Is there a greater women’s talent in professional mixed martial arts? Probably not… Fellow countrywoman Cris Cyborg, a grand slam MMA champion, makes a good case. Still, when we’re talking about the pinnacle of the sport (UFC), nobody has delivered a more impressive and dominant career than Amanda Nunes has!
Nunes presents a rare tenure for women’s MMA in that she had insane punching power and the ability to finish fights like no other, despite stoppage wins being so rare in WMMA compared to men’s.
Amanda Nunes Retirement
After becoming a two-division champion (The only woman in MMA history to do so) and multiple title defenses of her bantamweight strap, Amanda Nunes retired due to the lack of competition available to her. Picture that: you’re forced to retire because you’re so damn good!
Watching Nunes obliterate Cris Cyborg in less than a minute proved she was undoubtedly the No.1 fighter in women’s MMA, and the landscape of women’s MMA hasn’t quite been the same without her.
Hopefully, with Kayla Harrison presenting a new and formidable challenge in the women’s bantamweight division, Nunes will consider returning to put an ultimate stamp on WMMA.
Honorable Mentions
It wouldn’t be right to conclude our list of Brazil’s most recognizable UFC talent without mentioning the following athletes:
- Diego Lopez: Top-ranked active UFC featherweight.
- Charles Oliveira: Former UFC Champion (Actively competing at 155lbs)
- Caio Borralho: Top-ranked active UFC middleweight.
- Renato Moicano: Actively competing in the UFC lightweight division.
- Alexandre Pantoja: Current UFC flyweight champion.
- Gilbert Burns: Actively competing in the UFC welterweight division.
- Cris Cyborg: Former UFC Champion (Current PFL champion).
- Lyoto Machida: Former UFC Champion (Retired).
- Junior Dos Santos: Former UFC Champion.
- Rafael dos Anjos: Former UFC Champion.
- Fabricio Werdum: Former UFC Champion.
- Glover Teixeira: Former UFC Champion (Retired).
- Deiveson Figueiredo: Former UFC champion (active).
- Wanderlei Silva: Former UFC Champion (Retired).
- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: Former UFC Champion (Retired).
- Shogun Rua: Former UFC Champion (Retired).
- Vitor Belfort: Former UFC Champion (Retired).
- Renan Barao: Former UFC Champion (Retired).
- Jessica Andrade: Former UFC Champion (Active).
Questions Of The Day
How big is MMA in Brazil?
MMA is the second most watched sport in Brazil, after soccer. Brazil is frequently regarded as the origin of mixed martial arts. Royce Gracie, the inaugural star of the UFC, utilized a distinctive grappling jujitsu technique that led to his championship success reverberating throughout the nation. Interest continued to escalate from that point onward.
How many UFC champions are Brazilian?
Current UFC champions from Brazil include light heavyweight titleholder Alex Pereira and the flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Why are most UFC fighters Brazilian?
Brazil possesses a profound history in martial arts, notably with the evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). BJJ originated from Judo and gained popularity by the Gracie family in the beginning of the twentieth century. Its efficacy in grappling and ground combat has established it as a fundamental component of MMA training.
