As a professional MMA fighter, Pé de Pano competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), securing a TKO victory over former champion Frank Mir at UFC 57. He also defeated Keigo Kunihara at UFC 55. Pé de Pano lost a split decision to Jeff Monson at UFC 59, whom he had previously beaten twice in grappling tournaments. His second MMA loss came against Andrei Arlovski at UFC 66 in December 2006, where he was knocked out in the first round.
In June 2007, at the International Fight League (IFL), he defeated Rafael Feijão by disqualification after an illegal kick was thrown 18 seconds before the end of round 3. Many spectators believed Pé de Pano was winning all three rounds by unanimous decision.
In June 2008, at Sengoku 3, he defeated Mu Bae Choi by submission (triangle armlock) and dedicated the victory to Ryan Gracie. In April 2009, he secured a unanimous decision victory over UFC veteran Dan Christison. Pé de Pano stated that his MMA career was just beginning, and he aimed to compete in the heavyweight division.
Pé de Pano holds an impressive record in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with:
🏆 6 World Championships
🏆 5 Brazilian National Titles
🏆 8 Pan-American Titles
🥇 ADCC 2003 World Champion
Throughout his career, he has defeated legendary competitors such as Ricco Rodriguez, Mike Van Arsdale, Roger Gracie, Gabriel Gonzaga, Paulo Filho, Fabricio Werdum, Xande Ribeiro, Marcelo Garcia, Saulo Ribeiro, Fernando Augusto “Tererê,” and Fernando Pontes “Margarida”.
Since transitioning to MMA, he trained with Celsinho Venicius, Fábio Leopoldo, and Gabriel Vella, under the guidance of Roberto “Gordo” Correa, representing Gracie Fusion.
