Antônio Braga Neto (born October 29, 1987) is a Brazilian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

and

grappler Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a Grappling position, position or causing ...

. He competed in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He is a

gold medalist A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

in both the

World Jiu-Jitsu Championship The World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship (commonly known as the Worlds or Mundials) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament held once every year by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. It is widely considered to be the most important and ...

and

Pan American Championship A Pan American Championship is a top level international sports competition between athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs in the Americas. Typically these championships are recurring, the most ...

Mixed martial arts career

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt World Champion under Roberto "Gordo" Correa, Neto currently trains out of

Evolve MMA Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (not associated with Evolve Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) is a chain of martial arts academies. Founded by Chatri Sityodtong, it opened in January 2009. The gym includes several former and reigning UFC and ONE Championship World ...

in Brazil and Singapore.

Early career

Neto made his professional MMA debut in October 2006 in his native Brazil. He was undefeated for the first five fights of his career, with only one fight going to a decision. In 2008, Neto made his debut in Japan when he signed with the

Sengoku The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Various s ...

promotion. He faced

Ryo Kawamura is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and the former executive president of Pancrase Inc. A professional MMA competitor from 2005 until 2014, Kawamura most notably competed for Pancrase, where he is the former King of Panc ...

and lost by decision, the first loss of his professional career. In 2009, Neto signed with the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

organization

Art of War Fighting Championship The Art of War Fighting Championship (英雄榜/Art of War/AOW) was a Chinese professional mixed martial arts Promoter (entertainment), promotion based in Beijing, Beijing, China. The Chinese title "英雄榜" literally translated means "Gatheri ...

. He made his debut against

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

fighter

Rodney Glunder Rodney Glunder (born as ''Rodney Faverus'', March 1, 1975) is a retired Dutch professional kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and boxer, current actor, entrepreneur and bodybuilder. He has fought for M-1 Global, Cage Rage, K- ...

; the fight was cut short when a takedown from Neto sent Glunder through the ring ropes onto the floor and some tools and electrical equipment. Glunder suffered injuries to his back and was taken away from the ring on a stretcher by ringside physicians and doctors. Neto competed in the 2011 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, losing to veteran grappler and current

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

fighter

Sérgio Moraes Sérgio Ricardo de Moraes (born July 23, 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the welterweight and middleweight division's for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was a competitor on '' The Ultimat ...

in his ADCC debut.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In April 2013, Neto signed a three fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his UFC debut at UFC on Fuel TV: Nogueira vs. Werdum against former

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

fighter Anthony Smith. He won the fight in quick fashion, finishing via a kneebar submission at 1:52 of the first round. Neto was expected to face

Derek Brunson Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ran ...

on November 6, 2013 at

UFC Fight Night 31 ''UFC: Fight for the Troops 3'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 31'') was a mixed martial arts event held on November 6, 2013, at Fort Campbell in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. Background The event was th ...

. However, he pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Brian Houston. Neto faced

Clint Hester Clint Hester (born November 21, 1986) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who last competed in 2016. A professional competitor since 2008, he fought in the UFC and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. T ...

on June 28, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 44 ''UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 44'') was a mixed martial arts event held at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Background The event was the first that the organization has hosted in San Antonio. Zuf ...

. He lost the back and forth fight via split decision. Neto was expected to face

Zak Cummings Zacharry "Zak" Michael Cummings (born August 2, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist, who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2007, he has also formerly comp ...

on July 25, 2015 at

UFC on Fox 16 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, he pulled out of the fight in early July and was replaced by promotional newcomer

Dominique Steele Dominique Steele (born January 25, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, Fight Ni ...

. After an extended hiatus, Neto faced

Trevin Giles Trevin Dewayne Giles (born August 6, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist (MMA). Giles currently competes in the welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Giles was born in San Antonio, Texas, and was a f ...

on December 9, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 123 ''UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 123'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on December 9, 2017, at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Background ...

. He lost the fight via knockout in the third round. Neto was scheduled to face

Andrew Sanchez Andrew William Sanchez (born April 8, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2012, he has formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

on August 25, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 135 ''UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 135'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on August 25, 2018 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, United Stat ...

. However, he was removed from the bout on August 2 for undisclosed personal issues and replaced by

Markus Perez Markus Perez Echeimberg (born June 22, 1990) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional since 2013, he has also fought for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Jungle Fight and the Legac ...

. Neto was scheduled to face

Deron Winn Deron Andrew Winn (born June 13, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler. A professional mixed martial artist since 2017, he formerly competed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator MMA, fighting in th ...

on December 19, 2020 at

UFC Fight Night 185 ''UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 185'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 43'' and ''UFC Vegas 19'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 20, 2021 at the UFC ...

. However, he was again removed from the contest due to undisclosed reasons and replaced by

Antônio Arroyo João Antônio Barbosa Arroyo (born 1 July 1989) is a Brazilian male mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division. He has formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background After graduating with a business ...

. Neto was scheduled to face Abdul Razak Alhassan on August 21, 2021 at

UFC on ESPN 29 ''UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 29'' and ''UFC Vegas 34'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 21, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterp ...

. However, Neto was pulled from the event after testing positive for COVID-19. A few few days later, it was announced that Neto was released by the UFC.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 9–3 (1) ,

, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:27 ,

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, makin ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–2 (1) ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 (1) , Anthony Smith , Submission (kneebar) , UFC on Fuel TV: Nogueira vs. Werdum , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:52 ,

Fortaleza Fortaleza (, locally , Portuguese for ''Fortress'') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It belongs to the Metropolitan mesoregion of Fortaleza and microregion of Fortaleza. It is Brazil's 5th largest city and the t ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 (1) ,

Brock Larson Brock Orville Larson (born August 23, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. A professional competitor from 2002 until 2016, Larson has formerly competed for the U ...

, Submission (kneebar) , MMA Against Dengue 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:04 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 (1) ,

Maiquel Falcão Maiquel José Falcão Gonçalves (8 March 1981 – 23 January 2022) was a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2004, Falcão was perhaps best known for his ...

, Submission (kimura) , Amazon Forest Combat 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:26 ,

Manaus Manaus () is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. It is the seventh-largest city in Brazil, with an estimated 2020 population of 2,219,580 distributed over a land area of about . Located at the east center of the s ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 (1) , Douglas Cristian , Submission (verbal) , Top Fighter MMA , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

, Brazil , , - , NC , align=center, 5–1 (1) ,

, No Contest (fighters fell from the ring) , Art of War 14 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:24 ,

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

, China , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku First Battle , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Fabiano Astorino , Submission (kimura) , Fury FC 5: Final Conflict , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:25 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Renato Matos , TKO (punches) , Detonaco Fight Championship , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:55 , Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 ,

Cezar Ferreira Cezar Jesus Ferreira (born February 15, 1985), better known in his home country Brazil as Cezar Mutante, is a mixed martial artist currently competing in the light heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, he has competed fo ...

, Decision (unanimous) , XFC: Brazil , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Eduardo Camilo , Submission (armbar) , XFC: Brazil , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:46 , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Lolito Lolito , Submission (armbar) , Top Fighter MMA 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ,

References

External links