Marcos Galvão (born 23 June 1982) is a Brazilian professional
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 ...
currently competing in the
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, ...
division of 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 ...
. A professional competitor since 2003, Galvão peaked at a global ranking of No. 2 among
Bantamweights in August 2007 and has also formerly competed for the
WEC,
Shooto
is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission (ISC). Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 1989 as a ...
,
Jungle Fight, and
Bellator, where he is the former
Bantamweight World Champion. Galvao's nickname "Louro" means "blonde" in Portuguese, because he often dyes his hair this color.
Background
Marcos Galvão was born and raised in the city of
Manaus
Manaus () is the List of capitals of subdivisions of Brazil, capital and largest city of the States of Brazil, Brazilian state of Amazonas (Brazilian state), Amazonas. It is the List of largest cities in Brazil, seventh-largest city in Brazil, w ...
located in the state of
Amazonas, Brazil. Marcos began practicing
Judo
is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, 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 Encyc ...
when he was 11 years old before transitioning into
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu shortly after, training under Master Nonato Machado until moving to Rio de Janeiro at the age of 13. It was in Rio de Janeiro where Lôro started training heavily in
Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
and where he received his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the hands of
Nova União founder
André Pederneiras who would be his coach for the most part of his career. It was under Dedé's guidance that Lôro started making a mark in the sports lower ranks, earning a few very important titles in the blue, purple and brown belt divisions, including an impressive world title at brown belt at the age of 16, being one of the youngest competitors to ever win the competition at the brown belt level. In 2003 Marcos was awarded his black belt, and shortly after he started pursuing a career in mixed martial arts. After a good start fighting in organizations like
Shooto
is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission (ISC). Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 1989 as a ...
and traveling to
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
where he amounted wins that carried him to the WEC (considered at the time, the prime organization for MMA lighter weight competitors), Galvão hit a rough slope, and lost two fights in a row at the WEC. That was when his good friend
Vítor Ribeiro
Vítor de Souza Ribeiro (born February 24, 1979) is a retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2001, he has formerly competed for Strikeforce, Sho ...
invited Galvão to come to New York and start training with him, Lôro gladly accepted the offer and moved to the United States, where he trained full-time at Long Island MMA and also Church Street Boxing Gym with striking coach
Jason Strout. Lôro thrived in this new environment that coupled with his determination, and dedication to the sport, earned him a Bellator Bantamweight Tournament win, after a few Grappler's Quest and
NAGA competitions and wins, plus wins in Washington Combat and the
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
–based organization Ring of Combat, where he won the Featherweight championship title. After a few hurdles in his career, injuries, including facing-off against one of his teammates, and deciding to change teams due to training difficulties, Lôro defeated
Joe Warren and earned the Bellator Bantamweight title.
Mixed martial arts career
Shooto
Galvao made his professional debut in 2003 for the Japanese
Shooto
is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission (ISC). Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 1989 as a ...
organization, where he competed primarily, compiling a record of 6–1 before being signed by the WEC.
WEC
Galvão made his
WEC and U.S. debut at
WEC 31 against
Brian Bowles. Galvão lost the fight via KO in the second round, and then took a fight outside of the WEC before returning to the promotion. He returned to suffer another KO loss, this time to
Damacio Page at
WEC 39.
Shooto Title Fight
Following a loss in his WEC debut to Bowles, Galvão returned to Japan to challenge the undefeated
Shooto Bantamweight Champion Masakatsu Ueda. The fight ended in a draw, resulting in Ueda retaining the title.
Bellator MMA
Galvão was a part of the main event for
Bellator 41 against
Joe Warren, the
Bellator Featherweight Champion. The fight was contested at a Catchweight of 137 lbs. In the fight Galvão negated a majority of Warren's offense for the first two rounds by showing strong takedown defense, taking down Warren multiple times, taking Warren's back, and executing good knees from the clinch. In the third round he was taken down by Warren and controlled throughout the round. At the end of the fight, Bellator color commentator, Jimmy Smith, believed Galvão won the fight 29–28. Along with Smith, many top MMA sites, (MMAJunkie, Sherdog, MMAFighting, MMASpot), all believed that Galvão won the fight by 29–28. It was then announced that Warren had won the fight via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28).
During an MMAJunkie radio interview with Bellator CEO, Bjorn Rebney, Rebney confirmed that Galvão will take part in the
Bellator Season Five Bantamweight Tournament. Galvao fought former
WEC Bantamweight Champion Chase Beebe in a quarterfinal match-up on 24 September 2011 and won via split decision. In the semifinals, Galvão lost a very close fight against Cuban
Alexis Vila at
Bellator 55, losing by split decision (29–28, 29–28, 27–30). Though Galvao lost the fight, he still received his win bonus.
Galvão returned for the
Bellator Season Six Bantamweight Tournament. He won his quarterfinal and semifinal fights against Ed West and
Travis Marx respectively before reaching the finals. It was there that he scored a second round
TKO against
Luis Nogueira to win the tournament.
His next fight was against his good friend and teammate
Eduardo Dantas for the
Bellator Bantamweight Championship. He lost via knockout in the second round.
In his next bout for the promotion, Galvão faced Tom McKenna at
Bellator 108. Galvão defeated McKenna in the second round due to strikes.
Galvão then faced Thomas Vasquez at
Bellator 118 on 2 May 2014. Galvão used takedowns and ground-and-pound to defeat Vasquez via unanimous decision.
Galvão challenged
Joe Warren for the
Bellator Bantamweight Championship in a rematch on 27 March 2015 at
Bellator 135. He won the fight via verbal submission in the second round after Warren screamed out in pain causing the referee to stop the fight. This marked the first submission win of Galvão's career and avenged his previous loss to Warren.
Galvão was scheduled to face former teammate
Eduardo Dantas in a rematch for the
Bellator Bantamweight Championship title at
Bellator 150, but the match was scrapped following a last-minute illness suffered by Galvao. Prior, the rematch was expected to take place at
Bellator 144, however, this was cancelled, after an injury to Dantas. The rematch eventually took place on 17 June 2016 at
Bellator 156. Galvão lost the match by unanimous decision.
Following the loss of his title, Galvão defeated
L.C. Davis via split decision at
Bellator 166 on 2 December 2016.
Moving up to the featherweight division, Galvão faced
Emmanuel Sanchez at
Bellator 175 on 31 March 2017. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Again fighting at featherweight, Galvão returned at
Bellator 189 on 1 December 2017 against UFC veteran,
Sam Sicilia. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Galvao's Bellator contract expired in February 2018 and he became a free agent.
PFL
Following his departure from Bellator, Galvao signed with 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 ...
. He faced
Nazareno Malegarie at
PFL 1 on 7 June 2018. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Galvao faced Max Coga at
PFL 4 on 19 July 2018. He lost the fight by a third-round technical knockout.
Galvao faced Elvis Silva at Shooto Brazil 91 on 5 April 2019. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Championships and accomplishments
*
Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...
**
Bellator Bantamweight World Championship (One time)
**
Bellator Season Six Bantamweight Tournament Winner
*MMAJunkie.com
**2015 March Submission of the Month
vs. Joe Warren
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Loss
, align=center,
, Elvis Silva
, Decision (unanimous)
, Shooto Brazil 91
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, Brazil
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 18–11–1
, Max Coga
, TKO (punches)
,
PFL 4
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 2:19
,
Uniondale, New York
Uniondale is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in central Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, within the New York metropolitan area. The population was 32,473 at the time of the 2020 United States census ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 18–10–1
,
Nazareno Malegarie
, Decision (Unanimous)
,
PFL 1
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
New York City, New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 18–9–1
,
Sam Sicilia
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Bellator 189
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Thackerville, Oklahoma
Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located near the Texas state border. The population was 400 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Thackerville is situated near the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and State High ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 18–8–1
,
Emmanuel Sanchez
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Bellator 175
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Rosemont, Illinois
Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located immediately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 3,952. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 18–7–1
,
LC Davis
, Decision (split)
,
Bellator 166
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Thackerville, Oklahoma
Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located near the Texas state border. The population was 400 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Thackerville is situated near the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and State High ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 17–7–1
,
Eduardo Dantas
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Bellator 156
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Fresno, California
Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 17–6–1
,
Joe Warren
, Verbal Submission (kneebar)
,
Bellator 135
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 0:45
,
Thackerville, Oklahoma
Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located near the Texas state border. The population was 400 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Thackerville is situated near the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and State High ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 16–6–1
, Thomas Vasquez
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Bellator 118
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 15–6–1
, Tom McKenna
, TKO (punches)
,
Bellator 108
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:29
,
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 14–6–1
, Shely Santana
, TKO (punches)
, Shooto Brazil: Manaus
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:00
,
Manaus
Manaus () is the List of capitals of subdivisions of Brazil, capital and largest city of the States of Brazil, Brazilian state of Amazonas (Brazilian state), Amazonas. It is the List of largest cities in Brazil, seventh-largest city in Brazil, w ...
, Brazil
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–6–1
,
Eduardo Dantas
, KO (punches)
,
Bellator 89
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 3:01
,
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 13–5–1
,
Luis Nogueira
, TKO (elbows)
,
Bellator 73
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 4:20
,
Tunica, Mississippi, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 12–5–1
,
Travis Marx
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Bellator 68
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 11–5–1
,
Ed West
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Bellator 65
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 10–5–1
,
Alexis Vila
, Decision (split)
,
Bellator 55
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064.
Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 10–4–1
,
Chase Beebe
, Decision (split)
,
Bellator 51
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Canton, Ohio
Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, eighth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 70,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Canton–Massillo ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 9–4–1
,
Joe Warren
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Bellator 41
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064.
Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 9–3–1
, Ryan Vaccaro
, Decision (unanimous)
, Ring of Combat 33
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 8–3–1
, Jacob Kirwan
, Decision (unanimous)
, Ring of Combat 31
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 4:00
,
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 7–3–1
, David Derby
, TKO (punches)
, Washington Combat: Battle of the Legends
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:37
,
Washington, District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 6–3–1
,
Damacio Page
, KO (punches)
,
WEC 39
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:18
,
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi ( ; ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, Texas, Nueces County with portions extending into Aransas County, T ...
, United States
,
, -
, Draw
, align=center, 6–2–1
,
Masakatsu Ueda
, Draw
,
Shooto: Shooto Tradition 3
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 6–2
,
Brian Bowles
, KO (punch)
,
WEC 31
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:09
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 6–1
,
Kenji Osawa
, Decision (majority)
,
Shooto: Back To Our Roots 3
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–1
,
Naoya Uematsu
, Decision (unanimous)
, Fury FC 1: Warlords Unleashed
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, Brazil
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–1
,
Fredson Paixão
Fredson Paixão Melo (; born May 13, 1979) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He has competed as a featherweight the UFC, WEC, Deep, and Jungle Fight. He is also a world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Jungle Fight 6
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Manaus
Manaus () is the List of capitals of subdivisions of Brazil, capital and largest city of the States of Brazil, Brazilian state of Amazonas (Brazilian state), Amazonas. It is the List of largest cities in Brazil, seventh-largest city in Brazil, w ...
, Brazil
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 3–1
, Akitoshi Hokazono
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Shooto: 9/23 in Korakuen Hall
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
,
Jin Akimoto
Jin Akimoto (born April 7, 1971; ) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Bantamweight and Flyweight divisions. He spent the entirety of his career, barring one fight, in Shooto. Between 2000 and 2004 he was ranked as one ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Shooto: 9/26 in Kourakuen Hall
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
,
Shuichiro Katsumura
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Shooto 2004: 1/24 in Korakuen Hall
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Masato Shiozawa
, Decision (majority)
,
Shooto: 5/4 in Korakuen Hall
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan
,
Personal
Galvão is married to his wife Paula. The couple currently reside in California where Galvão trains and teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts.
[https://www.flowacademybjj.com Galvão teaches BJJ and MMA at this gym, present on the 2nd slide of the home page. Or call and they'll confirm.]
References
External links
Marcos Galvaoat
PFL
PFL may refer to:
Sport
* Professional Fighters League, an American mixed martial arts league
* Peel Football League, an Australian rules football league
* Pioneer Football League, an NCAA Division I FCS football conference
* Professional Futsa ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Galvao, Marcos
1982 births
Living people
Brazilian male mixed martial artists
Bantamweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Brazilian emigrants to the United States
People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
People from Long Island City, Queens
Bellator MMA champions
Martial artists from Manaus
21st-century Brazilian sportsmen