Antônio Carlos Coelho de Figueiredo Barbosa Júnior (born 16 March 1990), also known as Antônio Carlos Jr. and professionally by his ring name Cara de Sapato (as well as its English translation Shoeface), 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 ...

who competes in the

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

division and is currently signed to the

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

(PFL). Carlos Júnior is most known for his time spent fighting 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 ...

(UFC), where he competed in the

division in addition to Middleweight. A multiple time champion in

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

, Carlos Júnior was World Cup Champion in 2006 (at blue junior) and 2x World Champion in 2010 (weight & absolute at brown belt). He is the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

tournament and the 2021 PFL Light Heavyweight Champion.

Mixed martial arts career

The Ultimate Fighter

On 26 February 2014 it was revealed that Carlos Júnior was selected to be a participant on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3.'' Cara de Sapato defeated

Guilherme Viana Guilherme Viana (born May 13, 1986) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2012, Viana was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3. Mixed martia ...

via TKO (punches) to move into the ''Ultimate Fighter'' house, and become an official cast member. Carlos Júnior was selected as the first pick (second overall) of coach

Wanderlei Silva Wanderlei César da Silva ( , , ; born 3 July 1976) is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist who competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He holds the record for the ...

to be a part of Team Wanderlei. In his second

fight of the season, Cara de Sapato was selected to fight Edgard Castaldelli Filho and won via knockout (punch) with only twelve seconds of fight in the first round. He was then scheduled to face

Marcos Rogério de Lima Marcos Rogério de Lima (born May 25, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2009, he formerly competed for Strikeforce, Shooto, and was a co ...

for a spot in the final against

Vitor Miranda Vitor Miranda (born March 10, 1979) is a Brazilian kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was the K-1 Brazil 2005 and K-1 Turkey 2007 super heavyweight tournament champion. Biography Vitor Miranda was born in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Braz ...

He defeated Lima by submission (rear-naked choke).

Ultimate Fighting Championship (2014–2021)

Carlos Júnior made his promotional debut on 31 May 2014, at

The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3'' is an installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. It is the sixth series to be produced outside the United States and the third to film ...

against

to determine the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 Heavyweight Tournament. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Carlos Júnior made his light heavyweight debut against Patrick Cummins on 20 December 2014, at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway. He lost the one-sided fight by unanimous decision. After the defeat, he decided to move to the middleweight division for his next fight. Carlos Júnior faced

Eddie Gordon Eddie Gordon (born Edmund Richard Gordon; 9 February 1959 in Biggin Hill, Farnborough, Kent) is an English music journalist, producer, DJ and music business personality. Early and personal life Born in Biggin Hill, Gordon was raised in Gravesen ...

in a middleweight bout on 27 June 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 70 ''UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Romero'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 70'') was a mixed martial arts event held on June 27, 2015, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Background The event was originally expected t ...

He won the fight via submission in the third round. Carlos Júnior faced Kevin Casey on 10 December 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 80 ''UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 80'') was a mixed martial arts event held on December 10, 2015, at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was expected to be headline ...

. The bout was deemed a No Contest just 11 seconds into the first round when Carlos Júnior accidentally poked Casey in both eyes and Casey was unable to continue. Carlos Júnior next faced Dan Kelly on 20 March 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 85 ''UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Mir'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 85'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 20, 2016, at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Background The event was the second that th ...

. He lost the bout via TKO in the third round. Carlos Júnior returned to face Leonardo Augusto Guimarães on 17 September 2016 at UFC Fight Night 94. He won the fight via submission in the third round. Carlos Júnior faced

Marvin Vettori Marvin Vettori (born September 20, 1993) is an Italian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2012, Vettori is a former Venator FC Wel ...

on 30 December 2016 at

UFC 207 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 won the fight by unanimous decision. Carlos Júnior faced

Eric Spicely Eric Benjamin Spicely (born September 29, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler competing in the middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2012, he formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championsh ...

on 3 June 2017, at

UFC 212 ''UFC 212: Aldo vs. Holloway'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on June 3, 2017, at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background A UFC Featherweight Championship unification bout betwe ...

. He won the fight by submission due to a rear-naked choke in the second round. Carlos Júnior faced

Jack Marshman Jack Robert Marshman (born December 19, 1989) is a retired Welsh professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, he has competed for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), BAMMA a ...

on 28 October 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 119 ''UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Machida'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 119'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on October 28, 2017, at Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil. Background ...

. Carlos won the fight by submission due to a rear-naked choke in round one. Carlos Júnior faced Tim Boetsch on 14 April 2018, at

UFC on Fox 29 ''UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje'' (also known as ''UFC on FOX 29'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on April 14, 2018, at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Background After pr ...

. He won the fight via a rear-naked choke in round one. Carlos Júnior 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 4 August 2018, at

UFC 227 ''UFC 227: Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt 2'' was a mixed martial arts event that was produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and held on August 4, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background A UFC Bantamweight Championshi ...

. However, Brunson pulled out of the fight in early July citing an eye injury. In turn, Carlos Júnior was removed from the card entirely and is expected to be rescheduled for a future event. Subsequently, Carlos Júnior was quickly rescheduled was expected to face

Elias Theodorou Elias Michael TheodorouMixed Martial Arts Show ...

on 22 September 2018, at UFC Fight Night 137. However, Júnior pulled out on 28 August due to injury. The pairing was expected to be left intact and was rescheduled for 8 December 2018, at

UFC 231 ''UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 8, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background A UFC Featherweight Championship bout between ...

. On 13 September 2018, it was reported that Carlos Júnior withdrew from his bout with Theodorou yet again, citing a surgery is required on the injury that caused the cancellation of his first scheduled bout with Theodorou. Carlos Júnior faced Ian Heinisch at UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Lee on 18 May 2019. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Carlos Júnior faced Uriah Hall on 14 September 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 16 ''UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 16'' and ''UFC Fight Island 4'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 4, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu ...

. He lost the fight via split decision. Carlos Júnior was scheduled to face

Brad Tavares Bradley Kaipo Sarbida Tavares (born December 21, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. Tavares currently competes in the middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2007, Tavares foug ...

on 14 March 2020 at

UFC Fight Night 170 ''UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 170'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 28'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 14, 2020 at Ginásio Nilson Nelson in ...

. However, Tavares was forced to pull out of the fight due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and he was replaced by

Makhmud Muradov Makhmud Muradov (born 8 February 1990) is a Tajik-born Uzbek

. In turn, Carlos Júnior suffered from an unspecified injury and the bout was cancelled from the event. The bout with Brad Tavares was rescheduled for 24 January 2021 at

UFC 257 ''UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 24, 2021 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background Starting with ...

. Carlos Júnior lost the fight via unanimous decision. On 4 February 2021, it was announced that Carlos Júnior was released from his UFC contract.

Professional Fighters League

2021 Season

On 6 March 2021, it was announced by Carlos Júnior's management that he had signed to the

and would be competing in the 2021 season. He made his PFL debut against

Tom Lawlor Thomas Joseph Lawlor (born May 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and podcast host. He is best known for his time in Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he was a former one-time MLW World Heavyweight Cham ...

on 29 April 2021 at PFL 2. He won the bout via guillotine choke in the first round. Carlos Júnior faced

Vinny Magalhães Vinicius "Vinny" de Magalhães (; born July 2, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he was a finalist in '' The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mi ...

at PFL 5 on 17 June 2021. Halfway through round one, Júnior hit Magalhães with an accidental knee to the groin, rendering him unable to continue. This led to the bout being declared a no contest. Carlos Júnior faced Emiliano Sordi in the Semifinals off the Light Heavyweight tournament on 27 August 2021 at PFL 9. He won the bout via unanimous decision. Carlos Júnior faced Marthin Hamlet in the Finals of the Light Heavyweight tournament on 27 October 2021 at PFL 10. He won the bout via rear-naked choke in the first round, winning the 2021 PFL Light Heavyweight Tournament and $1 million prize.

2022 Season

Carlos Júnior faced Delan Monte on April 20, 2022, at PFL 1. He won 29 seconds into the bout via brabo choke. Carlos Júnior faced Bruce Souto on June 17, 2022, at PFL 4. He won the bout via unanimous decision. Carlos Júnior was scheduled to face

Omari Akhmedov Omari Akhmedov (born October 12, 1987) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). He previously fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Ba ...

in the Semifinals off the Light Heavyweight tournament on August 5, 2022, at PFL 7. However, he suffered an ACL injury requiring surgery, sidelining him for the rest of the year.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 Heavyweight Tournament Winner **Tied (with

Thales Leites Thales Leites Lourenço (; born 6 September 1981) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist best known for competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Early career Leites made his m ...

Rousimar Palhares Rousimar Christian Palhares (;, born February 20, 1980) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2006, he has competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC, World Series of Fighting, and ...

and

Demian Maia Demian Maia (born 6 November 1977) is a Brazilian professional submission grappler and mixed martial artist. He competed in both the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Maia is regarded as one ...

) for second most submission victories in UFC Middleweight history (five) *

** 2021 PFL Light Heavyweight Championship

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 15–5 (2) , Bruce Souto , Decision (unanimous) , PFL 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5 (2) , Delan Monte , Submission (brabo choke) , PFL 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:29 ,

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–5 (2) , Marthin Hamlet , Submission (rear-naked choke) , PFL 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:49 ,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–5 (2) , Emiliano Sordi , Decision (unanimous) , PFL 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 11–5 (2) ,

, No Contest (accidental groin strike) , PFL 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:45 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–5 (1) ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , PFL 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:43 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–5 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–4 (1) , Uriah Hall , Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3 (1) ,

Ian Heinisch Ian Edward Heinisch (born August 5, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2015, he has also competed for the World Series of Fightin ...

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Lee , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 (1) , Tim Boetsch , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:28 ,

Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located approximately northwest of Downtown Phoenix. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 248,325. History In the la ...

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

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Machida , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:30 ,

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, 8–2 (1) ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:49 ,

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, 7–2 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 (1) , Leonardo Augusto Guimarães , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:46 , Hidalgo, Texas, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–2 (1) , Dan Kelly , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Mir , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:36 ,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, Australia , , - , NC , align=center, 5–1 (1) , Kevin Casey , No Contest (accidental eye poke) , UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:11 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Romero , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:37 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–1 , Patrick Cummins , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Barueri Barueri ( or ) is a Brazilian municipality in the State of São Paulo located in the northwestern part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 276,982 (2020 est.) in an area of . Its boundaries are Santana de Parnaíba to th ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fight Brazil 3 Finale: Miocic vs. Maldonado , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Ednaldo Novaes , Submission (armbar) , Champion Fights 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:16 , Salvador, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Gerônimo Oliveira , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Imperium: MMA Pro 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:41 ,

Feira de Santana Feira de Santana (; Portuguese language, Portuguese for "Saint Anne's Fair") is a city in Bahia, Brazil. It is the second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 619,609 according to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Celivaldo da Silva , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Nordeste MMA 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:02 , Salvador, Brazil , , -

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

, - , Win , align=center, 3–0 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 , (airdate) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:22 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Edgard Castaldelli Filho , KO (punch) , The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 , (airdate) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:12 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 ,

, TKO (punches) , The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 , (airdate) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:32 ,

, Brazil , , -

References

External links

Antônio Carlos Júnior
at PFL * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carlos, Antonio Junior 1990 births Living people Brazilian male mixed martial artists Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian Muay Thai practitioners Heavyweight mixed martial artists Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from João Pessoa, Paraíba Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Sportspeople from Paraíba