Jussier da Silva Viera Formiga (born April 14, 1985) 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, incorpo ...

who competes in the

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

division. A professional competitor since 2005, Formiga most notably competed in the UFC and is the former

Shooto Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...

South America 123-pound champion.

Mixed martial arts career

Shooto Brazil

Formiga won his professional mixed martial arts debut fight on November 29, 2008 at Shooto: Brazil 9 against Michael Willian Costa via split decision. This was followed up by an upset victory over Shinichi "BJ" Kojima via unanimous decision at Shooto: Revolutionary Exchanges 1: Undefeated. It was expected Formiga would be brought back for a year-end title rematch with Kojima. However, Kojima vacated the Shooto Bantamweight Championship, further complicating Jussier's future with the organization. Formiga was at this point, ranked as the number one Flyweight in the world and then fought

Alexandre Pantoja Alexandre Pantoja Passidomo (born, April 16, 1990) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter, currently fighting for the UFC and is the flyweight champion of the Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Shooto Brazil. As of August 20, 2022, he is ...

, who was unbeaten as a Flyweight. On June 12, 2010, Formiga defeated Pantoja by unanimous decision to defend his South America Shooto 123 lb Championship.

Tachi Palace Fights

Formiga signed a four-fight exclusive contract with the California-based Tachi Palace Fights organization. His first fight with the organization was against WEC veteran Danny Martinez at Tachi Palace Fights 7. Formiga won the fight by unanimous decision. Fomiga's next fight was against another WEC veteran in Ian McCall. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Formiga next faced top-ranked Flyweight

Mamoru Yamaguchi Mamoru Yamaguchi (born May 29, 1977) is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in Pancrase. He is the former Shooto Bantamweight (123 lb) Champion, former Shooto Featherweight (132 lb) Champion, former Pancrase Flyweight Champ ...

at Tachi Palace Fights 10. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On July 14, 2012 it was announced that Formiga signed with the UFC. Formiga faced John Dodson on October 5, 2012 at

UFC on FX 5 ''UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot'' (also known as ''UFC on FX 5'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 5, 2012, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the fifth UFC event broadcast li ...

. After a slow first round, Formiga began to succumb to the speed of Dodson, and was eventually finished via TKO with ground strikes at 4:35 of the second round. Formiga faced Chris Cariaso on May 18, 2013 at

UFC on FX 8 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 via unanimous decision. Formiga faced

Joseph Benavidez Joseph Rolando Benavidez (born July 31, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Benavidez was born on July 31, 1984, in Sa ...

on September 4, 2013 at

UFC Fight Night 28 ''UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Bader'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 28'') was a mixed martial arts that was held on September 4, 2013, at Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Background A bout between Raphael Assunção and T.J. Dil ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Formiga faced Scott Jorgensen on March 23, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 38. Formiga won the fight via submission in the first round. Formiga unintentionally butted Jorgensen's chin with the top of his skull, which went unnoticed by the referee and submitted the dazed Jorgensen via rear-naked choke. Jorgensen appealed the headbutt to the Brazilian Athletic Commission, however the result was upheld. Formiga was expected to face

Zach Makovsky Zachary Paul "Zach" Makovsky (born April 19, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the flyweight division of the Brave Combat Federation. He has competed in EliteXC, ShoXC, Bellator, and Ultimate Fighting Champio ...

on August 2, 2014 at UFC 176. However, after UFC 176 was cancelled, Formiga/Makovsky was rescheduled and eventually took place on August 16, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 47. Formiga won the fight via unanimous decision. Formiga was expected to face John Moraga on December 13, 2014 at

UFC on Fox 13 ''UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 13'') was a mixed martial arts event held at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 13, 2014. Background The event was the first that the organization has hosted in ...

. However, on November 21, Formiga pulled out of the fight and was replaced by UFC newcomer Willie Gates. Formiga faced

Wilson Reis Wilson Reis Monte Alto Gonçalves (born January 6, 1985, in Januária) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. Reis is the former EliteXC Bantamweight Champion and has also competed for UFC, Bellator, ShoXC ...

on May 30, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 67 ''UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Alves'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 67'') was a mixed martial arts event held on May 30, 2015, at the Goiânia Arena in Goiânia, Brazil. Background The event was the second that the UFC has hosted in Goiâni ...

. He won the back-and-forth fight by unanimous decision. Formiga next faced Henry Cejudo on November 21, 2015 at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 2 Finale. He lost the fight by split decision. Formiga faced

Dustin Ortiz Dustin Ortiz (born December 25, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division and is currently signed to the Brave CF. A professional competitor since 2010, Ortiz has also formerly competed for the UFC, RFA, ...

on September 24, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 95. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Formiga was expected to face

Sergio Pettis Sergio Jerome Pettis (born August 18, 1993) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently signed with Bellator MMA, where he is the current Bellator Bantamweight Champion. Prior to signing with Bellator, Pettis competed in the Ultimate Fi ...

on January 15, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 103. However, Formiga pulled out of the fight in late December and was replaced by John Moraga. Formiga faced

Ray Borg Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

on March 11, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 106 ''UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 106'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on March 11, 2017, at the Centro de Formação Olímpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. After alternating between wins and losses in the latest four fights, Formiga decided to move from his native Brazil to Florida, United States in order to train at

American Top Team American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. The gym was founded by Dan Lambert, who brought in former members of Brazilian Top Team Marcus "Conan" Silveira, Marcelo Silveira and Ricardo Liborio, but there is no for ...

. Formiga faced Ulka Sasaki on September 23, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Saint Preux vs. Okami. He won the fight via submission in the first round. Formiga faced Ben Nguyen on February 11, 2018 at

UFC 221 ''UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on February 11, 2018, at Perth Arena in Perth, Western Australia. Background While the UFC has hosted 11 previous events ...

. He won the fight via technical submission in the third round due to a rear-naked choke. This win earned him the

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

bonus. Formiga faced

on October 6, 2018 at UFC 229. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Formiga faced Deiveson Figueiredo on March 23, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 148. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Formiga faced

in a rematch on June 29, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 3. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the second round. Formiga faced

Brandon Moreno Brandon Carrillo Moreno (born December 7, 1993) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Flyweight Champion, and the cu ...

on March 14, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 170. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Formiga faced Alex Perez on June 6, 2020 at UFC 250. He lost the bout via first round technical knockout. On November 16, 2020, it was announced that Formiga had been released from his UFC contract and is now a free agent.

Post-UFC career

After the release from the UFC, Formiga headlined LFA 124 against Felipe Bunes on February 11, 2022. He won the fight via technical submission due to a rear-naked choke in the second round.

Championships and awards

*Shooto South America **Shooto South American 123 lb Championship *

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 ...

(One time) vs Ben Nguyen

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 24–8 , Felipe Bunes , Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) , LFA 124 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:53 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–8 , Alex Perez , TKO (leg kicks) , UFC 250 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:06 ,

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 Vega ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–7 ,

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

Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–6 ,

, TKO (head kick and punches) , UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:47 , Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–5 , Deiveson Figueiredo , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Pettis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 229 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–5 , Ben Nguyen , Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:43 ,

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 20–5 , Ulka Sasaki , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Saint Preux vs. Okami , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:30 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Fortaleza, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 19–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. Lansberg , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–4 , Henry Cejudo , Decision (split) , The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 2 Finale: Magny vs. Gastelum , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Monterrey, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 18–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Alves , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Goiânia Goiânia (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Goiás. With a population of 1,536,097, it is the second-largest city in the Central-West Region and the 10th-largest in the country. Its metropolitan area has a population ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 17–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Saint Preux , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Bangor, Maine, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 , Scott Jorgensen , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:07 ,

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–3 ,

, TKO (knee to the body and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Bader , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:07 , Belo Horizonte, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 15–2 , Chris Cariaso , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Jaraguá do Sul Jaraguá do Sul () is a city in the north of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. History The city was founded on July 25, 1876, by engineer and Brazilian Army colonel Emílio Carlos Jourdan and his family. The city was originally named jus ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–2 , John Dodson , TKO (punches) , UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:35 , Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Sidney Oliveira , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Shooto Brazil 31 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:45 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Martin Coria , Submission (triangle choke) , Coliseu Extreme Fight , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:11 ,

Maceió Maceió (), formerly sometimes Anglicised as Maceio, is the capital and the largest city of the coastal state of Alagoas, Brazil. The name "Maceió" is an Indigenous term for a spring. Most maceiós flow to the sea, but some get trapped and form l ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Rodrigo Santos , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Fort MMA Championships 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:52 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Michael Willian , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Shooto Brazil 26 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:55 ,

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 ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

Tachi Palace Fights 10 Tachi Palace Fights 10 was a mixed martial arts event held by Tachi Palace Fights (TPF), on August 5, 2011 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California. Background Former TPF Featherweight Champion Isaac De Jesus was scheduled ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–1 , Ian McCall , Decision (unanimous) , TPF 8: All or Nothing , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Danny Martinez , Decision (unanimous) ,

Tachi Palace Fights 7 Tachi Palace Fights 7: Deck the Halls was a mixed martial arts event held by Tachi Palace Fights on December 2, 2010 at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. Background Chance Farrar was expected to fight at this event agains ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Shooto Brazil 16 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 ,

Shinichi Kojima is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He has fought for most of his career in the Shooto organization. Mixed martial arts career Kojima was the Shooto Bantamweight Champion from 2006 until 2010, when an ACL injury in his right knee prevented him f ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Shooto Revolutionary Exchanges 1: Undefeated , , 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 List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Michael Willian , Decision (split) , Shooto Brazil 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Fortaleza, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Ralph Lauren , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Shooto Brazil 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:46 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Jose Maria Tome , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Original Bairros Fight 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:41 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Arinaldo Batista , Decision (unanimous) , Hikari Fight , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Amaury Junior , Decision (unanimous) , Mossoró Fight , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Mossoró Mossoró () is the second most populous city in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and also the largest municipality of that state. It is equidistant (four hours' drive) from Natal (approximately 277 km or 172 miles), the state capi ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Chacal Chacal , Submission (armbar) , Tremons Fight , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:20 ,

, Brazil , , -

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Formiga, Jussier Brazilian male mixed martial artists Flyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian male judoka People from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte Living people 1985 births Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Sportspeople from Rio Grande do Norte