Fredson Paixão Melo (; born May 13, 1979) is a Brazilian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He has competed as a

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

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 TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

, WEC,

Deep Deep or The Deep may refer to: Places United States * Deep Creek (Appomattox River tributary), Virginia * Deep Creek (Great Salt Lake), Idaho and Utah * Deep Creek (Mahantango Creek tributary), Pennsylvania * Deep Creek (Mojave River tributary ...

, and Jungle Fight. He is also a world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Background

Paixão earned his black belt from Osvaldo Alves in 1998. He has won multiple World Championships as a black belt. He took first place at Mundials in 1998 (as a purple belt); and in 2001, 2002, and 2005 (as a black belt). In addition, he finished second (silver medal) in 2004. In May 2010, Paixão defeated

Caol Uno (born May 8, 1975) is a Japanese mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is the List of UFC champions#Tournament winners, Co-Champion of the List of UFC champions#Tournament winners, UFC 41 Lightweight Tournam ...

in a submission grappling bout at the UFC Fan Expo held in Las Vegas at UFC 114.

Mixed martial arts career

Paixão made his WEC debut at

WEC 40 ''WEC 40: Torres vs. Mizugaki'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on April 5, 2009 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois. The event aired live on the Versus (TV channel), Versus Network. Background This was the ...

, where he lost a unanimous decision to

Wagnney Fabiano Wagnney Silva Fabiano-Santos (born July 14, 1975) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is best known for fighting in the WEC, as well as for the Toronto Dragons of the International Fight League and is the former IFL Featherweight Champion ...

. In his next fight, Paixao fought Cole Province at WEC 42, where he originally suffered a split decision loss. The result was later changed to a no contest after Province tested positive for banned substances during a post-fight screening. Paixão was expected to face Bryan Caraway on March 6, 2010, at

WEC 47 ''WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on March 6, 2010. It was held at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio Background The only WEC event held in Ohio, WEC 47 coincided with the Arnold ...

, but Caraway was forced off the card with an injury. Paixão instead faced Courtney Buck and won via first round submission. Paixão eventually fought and defeated Caraway via split decision at WEC 50.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In October 2010,

World Extreme Cagefighting World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was mad ...

merged with the

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

. As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC. Paixão has the distinction of being part of the very first featherweight fight in UFC history. His UFC debut was against Pablo Garza at The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck Finale. Paixão was knocked out in the first round by a flying knee from Garza and subsequently released from the promotion.

Personal life

Paixão has a daughter named Emma. He appears in the video game UFC Undisputed 3.

Mixed martial arts record

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Masakazu Imanari is a Japanese mixed martial artist and submission wrestler. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of Rizin Fighting Federation. A professional competitor since 2000, he is a veteran of ONE Championship, DEEP, ZST, Pancrase, PRIDE F ...

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Marcos Galvão Marcos Galvão (born 23 June 1982) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Professional Fighters League. A professional competitor since 2003, Galvão peaked at a global ranking ...

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Rani Yahya Rani Ahmad Yahya (born September 12, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and BJJ practitioner. He won the 66 kg division of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in April 2007. He currently fights in the Bantam ...

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References

External links

* * *http://www.fpbjja.com *http://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/fredson-paixao {{DEFAULTSORT:Paixao, Fredson 1979 births Living people Brazilian male mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Martial artists from Rio de Janeiro (city) Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in the United States World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists