Marcio Ribeiro da Cruz (born April 24, 1978, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a

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 ...

practitioner and

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 ...

. In Jiu-Jitsu, he is a 5th degree black belt under

Carlos Gracie Jr. Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie Jr. is a Brazilian 8th-degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and instructor. A member of the Gracie family, he is the son of Carlos Gracie, and first cousin to the Machado family brothers. Caree ...

and is a six-time IBJJF Mundials World Champion, five-time IBJJF Brazilian Nationals Champion, eight-time IBJJF Pan-American Champion, 2003 ADCC World Champion, two-time Abu Dhabi World Jiu Jitsu Legends Champion and UFC Veteran Fighter. His nickname "Pé de Pano" was given to him by his friends at the

Gracie Barra Gracie Barra is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu association with over 800 schools on six continents. The organization was founded by Carlos Gracie, Jr. History Carlos Gracie Jr., who was born in 1956, grew up heavily influenced by his family, especiall ...

academy in Rio and it is the Portuguese version of the name of

Woody Woodpecker Woody Woodpecker is an animated character that appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz Studio and distributed by Universal Studios between 1940 and 1972. Woody, an anthropomorphic woodpecker, was created in 1940 by Lan ...

's horse, SugarFoot. He competed in the

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 ...

and also had a one fight stint as an alternate for the

New York Pitbulls The New York Pitbulls were an International Fight League team based in NYC, New York. Coached by Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert and MMA veteran Renzo Gracie, the Pitbulls were one of four teams competing in the IFL's inaugural season. Record/Roste ...

of the

International Fight League The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006, and closed on July 31, 2008.

Background

Cruz was born in

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 ...

and had a brief stint with

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

when he was 12 years old before being introduced to

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 ...

by a friend. Although he had wanted to begin training in the sport immediately, due to the lack of a nearby gym, he began learning

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

. It was not until the age of 17 that Cruz began his official training in

jiu-jitsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdu ...

and would go on to win his first major title in only three years.

Championships and achievements

Grappling credentials

Cruz is a six-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, five-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Champion, eight-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American Champion and the 2003 ADCC World Champion, He is undefeated at the Abu Dhabi World Jiu Jitsu Legends, he won the Championship two years in a row (2016 and 2017). Prof. Márcio Cruz won the Black Belt Absolute Division twice, being awarded two unique Champion Ring in a 2018 IBJJF Celebration. People he has defeated include:

Ricco Rodriguez Ricco Rodriguez (born August 19, 1977) is an American semi-retired mixed martial artist currently competing in the heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 1999, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, EliteXC, I ...

, Mike Van Arsdale,

Roger Gracie Roger Gracie (born Roger Gracie Gomes; 26 September, 1981) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist and former professional Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) competitor. The son of coral belt Mauricio Gomes and grandson of BJJ founder Carlos Gracie, ...

Gabriel Gonzaga Gabriel Gonzaga Santos Nogueira (; born 18 May 1979) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is perhaps best known for his upset head-kick knockout of ...

Paulo Filho Paulo Fernando de Souza Leite Filho, better known as simply Paulo Filho (; born May 24, 1978), is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist who last competed in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor from 2000 until 2014, Fil ...

, Fabrício Werdum,

Xande Ribeiro Alexandre Ribeiro (born January 20, 1981) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, mixed martial artist and submission wrestler. He is a two-time World Black Belt Absolute (open weight) World ...

, Marcelo Garcia,

Saulo Ribeiro Saulo Mendonça Ribeiro Filho (born July 2, 1974), brother of the equally famed Xande Ribeiro, is a 6th-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). After earning a black belt in Judo, he began his training of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Rio de ...

, Fernando Augusto,

Jeff Monson Oregon State Beavers Jeffrey William Monson (born January 18, 1971) is an American-Russian mixed martial artist, boxer, and submission grappler who competes primarily in the Heavyweight division. A professional competito ...

, and Fernado "Margarida" Pontes. Since he started his mixed martial arts career, he has been training MMA with Roberto "Gordo" Correa and he fights under the Marcio Cruz BJJ team and Ring Team. His favorite Technique is Triangle Choke

Mixed martial arts career

As a professional MMA fighter, Cruz has fought 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 ...

, defeating former

UFC Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Frank Mir Francisco Santos Mir III (; born May 24, 1979), is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed for Bellator MMA in the Heavyweight division. He formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for sixteen years. A f ...

by TKO at ''

UFC 57 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 also holds a win over Keigo Kunihara at ''

UFC 55 ''UFC 55: Fury'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 7, 2005 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later releas ...

''. He lost a split decision to

, whom he had previously defeated twice in grappling tournaments, at ''

UFC 59 ''UFC 59: Reality Check'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 15, 2006 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California, and broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada. This was th ...

''. Cruz' second MMA loss was to

Andrei Arlovski Andrei Arlovski (born 4 February 1979) is a Belarusian-American professional mixed martial artist, actor and former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and ho ...

at ''

UFC 66 ''UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background ''UFC 66s main event was a championshi ...

'', in December 2006, by first-round knockout. In June 2007 in the

IFL IFL may refer to: ;American football *Intense Football League, (2004–2008) in the United States, merged into the Indoor Football League *Indoor Football League, (2008–present) in the United States *Intercontinental Football League, a European l ...

he defeated Rafael Feijao by disqualification when Feijao used an illegal kick 1:18 before the end of the 3rd and final round. In June 2008 Cruz defeated Mu Bae Choi at '' Sengoku 3'' via submission (triangle armbar). In April 2009 he defeated UFC veteran

Dan Christison Daniel B. "The Sandman" Christison (born April 26, 1972) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2001 until 2010, he fought for the San Jose Razorclaws of the International Fight League, the Ultimate Fighting Championshi ...

by unanimous decision. On August 22, 2009, he beat Tom Sauer via TKO in the second round. With this victory he won the World Fighting Organization Heavyweight Championship. He successfully defended his belt by submitting Dave Yost with a

Rear Naked Choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikogi ...

in the first round on April 3, 2010. Cruz had to withdraw from Abu Dhabi Fighting Championship with a spinal injury in May 2010. After 15 months of inactivity, Cruz faced

Glover Teixeira Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champi ...

at Clube da Luta on July 20, 2011 losing via TKO (punches) at 4:21 in the second round. Cruz weighed in at an out-of-shape 256-pounds. Cruz was scheduled to make his Light heavyweight debut against fellow UFC veteran

Gilbert Yvel Gilbert Ramon Yvel (born 30 June 1976) is a Dutch professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 1997, Yvel competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Affliction, the UFC, Road FC, the RFA, RINGS, M-1 Challenge, Cage ...

on November 2, 2012, at Resurrection Fighting Alliance 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, Yvel was later forced to pull out of the bout due to an injury. Cruz ended up facing Joe Yager at the event and won the fight by submission.

Personal life

Marcio Cruz is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, has been married since 2009 to Ariana Cruz and has 4 kids named, Renan, Matthew, Clara and Aaylah. Currently Marcio Cruz runs a

Academy in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

and a Second Location in Carrollwood, Florida.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 8–3 , Joe Yager , Submission (inverted triangle choke) , RFA 4: Griffin vs. Escudero , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:16 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–3 ,

, TKO (punches) , Clube da Luta , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:21 , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , David Yost , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Art of Fighting 7 - Payday , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:22 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 ,

Tommy Sauer Thomas Sauer (November 11, 1970 — March 24, 2020) was an American retired mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1998 to 2012, he competed for RINGS and the World Fighting Alliance. Background A native of Cleveland, Sauer move ...

, TKO (punches) , Art of Fighting 4 - Damage , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:43 , Tampa, Florida, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , ICF: Breakout , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Choi Mu-Bae , Submission (triangle armbar) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:37 ,

Saitama, Saitama is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. Being in the Greater Tokyo Area and lying 1 ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 ,

Rafael Cavalcante Rafael Cavalcante (born 5 April 1980) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who fights in the light heavyweight division. He is currently competing for Bellator MMA. He trains with Anderson Silva and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira as part of the Black ...

, DQ (illegal kick) , IFL: Las Vegas , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:42 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–2 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:15 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC 59: Reality Check , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 ,

, TKO (punches and elbows) , UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:15 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Keigo Kunihara , Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:02 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

, United States ,

References

External links

* *
Marcio Cruz Brazilian Jiu Jitsu School in Tampa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruz, Marcio Brazilian Christians Brazilian male mixed martial artists Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing karate Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Rio de Janeiro (city) Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Brazilian male karateka Brazilian male judoka 1978 births Living people People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from Lutz, Florida Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters