The UFC arrives in Brazil’s Marvelous City for the 10th time on May 11, and whenever the Octagon lands in Rio de Janeiro, history could be made.
The city has been a consistent port for the company since its return to Brazil in 2011, with the UFC holding a least one show per year in Rio de Janeiro since 2011.
This time around, strawweight queen Rose Namajunas puts her title on the line against heavy-hitter Jessica Andrade, Brazilian icons Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo return to action, and B.J. Penn faces Clay Guida in what may very well be his retirement fight. To warm things up ahead of Saturday’s UFC 237 pay-per-view, we took a look back at a decade worth of big fights and raucous events to determine the best moments in UFC Rio history.
“This is nuts!”
Ask any MMA fan who follows the sport for more than seven years, and Jose Aldo blasting Chad Mendes’ face with a knee then jumping into the crowd to celebrate will probably be the first memory that pops into their mind when discussing UFC events in Rio de Janeiro.
The Nova Uniao star was on his third UFC title defense — fifth, if you count his WEC defenses — and coming off decisions over Mark Hominick and Kenny Florian entering UFC 142. His opponent, the undefeated Mendes, was viewed as a tough test who was riding an 11-fight win streak, six of those under the WEC and UFC banners. Mendes was still more of a wrestler at that point, rather than the well-rounded athlete he would become later, but he still presented very real challenges to Aldo’s reign.
Dana White and the Fertitta brothers were so happy with the success of the UFC’s first trip to Brazil in Aug. 2011 that they quickly booked another event in the city on Jan. 2012.
Mendes’ wrestling gave Aldo trouble early — Aldo was criticized for a long, long time afterward for grabbing the fence to stop one of his foe’s takedowns — but just before the horn sounded to indicate the end of the opening round, Aldo’s iconic knee landed flush.
A single move — getting Mendes off of his back then swinging around to land a knee — was enough for Aldo to send the Team Alpha Male star to the canvas. Aldo, fighting in his home country for the first time since 2007, then proved that the Octagon was too small for his excitement. He scaled over the cage and dived into a crowd of his countrymen, who carried their local hero on their shoulders and crowned him “King of Rio.”
The featherweight duo of Aldo and Mendes ultimately met again in Rio de Janeiro two-and-a-half-years later, this time at the Maracanazinho gymnasium, an important venue for Rio’s fighting history. With then-No. 1 contender Conor McGregor sitting cageside, they put on one of the greatest featherweight fights in MMA history, and once more, Aldo came out on top.
“Minotauro” returns home
The historical impact of Aldo’s first win over Mendes and his ensuing celebration are undeniable, but on a personal level, nothing comes close to topping “Minotauro’s” win over Brendan Schaub at UFC 134.
To truly understand the importance of the moment, you have to rewind a few months.
Nogueira was away from the cage for a year-and-a-half and had been plagued by staph infections and severe injuries. Over the course of his career, he underwent more than 20 major surgeries. After being finished for the first time as a professional MMA fighter in grisly fashion against Frank Mir, the heavyweight legend beat Randy Couture in an entertaining 15-minute war before getting demolished by rising prospect Cain Velasquez.
At 36 years of age and with 40 professional bouts under his belt, Nogueira was expected by many to take on easier opposition from that point on in a sort of farewell tour, and the UFC’s first trip to Brazil in decades seemed like a perfect opportunity for a proper goodbye. The issue was, the UFC matched up him against Schaub, an up-and-coming heavyweight who stopped another legend in Mirko Cro Cop just months before.
“Minotauro” was one of the stars of the show at HSBC Arena — rebranded Jeunesse Arena years later — but most thought that facing such a young force at that stage of his career was a mistake. On the many trips I made to his gym in Rio de Janeiro during his training camp, watching him arrive walking with crutches, I was convinced that there would be no happy ending for him.
“That fight was a moment of overcoming adversities because it would determine if I would continue fighting or not,” Nogueira says. “The UFC was coming to Brazil, there was a lot going on at the same time. I was very happy with the UFC’s arrival in Brazil, I was basically asked by the Vegas crew to fight on that card. I accepted it even though I couldn’t since I had just undergone hip surgery.”
The charismatic heavyweight could barely walk on his own for weeks. Over the course of five months, Nogueira did 360 hours of physical therapy with Dr. Angela Cortes.
“I really just started my camp eight week before the fight,” Nogueira says. “Before that, I couldn’t even put my foot on the ground, but I had a great team with me.”
Nogueira's camp was full of stars. He worked alongside his twin brother Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and the likes of Anderson Silva, Junior dos Santos, Roan Carneiro, Rafael Cavalcante, and Antonio Silva. He was so beloved by fellow MMA fighters that many moved to Rio just to help him prepare for UFC 134. His health improved in the gym as time went by, but it still seemed crazy for him to enter the Octagon to face “Big Brown.”
“The team had a mission to get me back on my feet and be able to fight that night,” he says.
With the arena packed from the first fight onward and Brazilians beating every single foreigner left and right throughout UFC 134’s card — with the exception of Luiz Cane, who was defeated by Stanislav Nedkov — by the time Nogueira walked to the cage, fans were both hopeful and nervous.
But 18 months after a brutal loss to Velasquez, Nogueira did the impossible. In his 41st professional fight, his first appearance in front of his countrymen in Brazil, “Minotauro” put Schaub to sleep with his fists. It was only his second knockout victory in more than 10 years of fighting. It felt almost like he waited for the perfect moment to make it happen.
As the crowd went nuts and grown men cried in joy, Nogueira proved one more time why he was so unique.
“Minotauro” considers that win one of the four best of his glorious career, sharing the Top 4 with the ones over Bob Sapp, Tim Sylvia and Cro Cop, but ultimately decided against making that bout his last since the sport was finally getting the well-deserved recognition in his home country, and he had to be part of it.
Four years later, Nogueira finally decided to hang up his gloves. The perfect ending that UFC 134 would have been for his career never came again, as he walked away on a three-fight losing skid. But his final decision defeat to Stefan Struve was also a memorable night in and of itself, as Struve did what many wished they could, kneeling in front of the Brazilian legend in Rio de Janeiro to honor the career of a heavyweight icon.
Rio gets rowdy
Ronda Rousey’s star power was undeniable. Anaheim, Las Vegas, and Nevada, wherever she headlined a UFC card, “Rowdy” was followed by thousands. And at UFC 190, Rousey had an opportunity to show she was a bigger star than anyone could’ve ever anticipated.
It’s pretty clear by now that Brazilian fans are some of the most passionate around and will back their countrymen against any opposition, even if they aren’t all that confident in a victory. If someone holds a green-and-yellow flag, they will have the support of the people.
But that didn’t happen with Bethe Correia.
It wasn’t anything personal about the Paraiba native, who earned her shot at the UFC belt as an undefeated prospect after collecting wins over Julie Kedzie and two of Rousey’s closest friends, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler. It was simply all about Rousey’s charisma and fighting skills. She had the total package, it seemrf like she could rule the world.
Leading up to the event, I asked fans during an open workout session at Barra da Tijuca beach if they would cheer for Rousey at the event, and it was unanimous.
Promises made, promises kept. Correia was booed by some on her way to the Octagon. “Rowdy” was cheered by all.
“I won’t lie, at the time that really bothered me, you know?” Correia says. “I was training in Brazil and had no support, no sponsors. I worked hard, carried the Brazilian flag with me, but had no support from the crowd. Most of them cheered for Ronda, yes, but that’s their choice. People will cheer for whoever they want. It doesn’t matter to me anymore. I do what I have to do. Those who like me, they really do. The funny thing is, those who don’t like me are the ones who watch me the most [laughs].”
In the end, the walkout lasted longer than the actual fight. Rousey melted Correia in just 34 seconds.
Despite not having the support of her fellow Brazilians, "Pitbull" wouldn't change a thing about the whole experience — except the actual outcome of the title bout, of course.
“I regret nothing. Nothing. Nothing,” Correia says. “I hold no grudges towards her. It was cool, actually. I had a great experience with that fight. The trash talk, everything with Ronda was truly unique. We made history. That fight will be remembered forever because no one had ever done those pay-per-view numbers before in Brazil and involved so many people. It was really cool. I won a lot with that fight. I didn’t win the fight, unfortunately, but I grew a lot with my mistakes.”
Rio will go down in history as the final city to witness Rousey have her hands raised after a UFC fight, as she went on to lose back-to-back title bouts to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes and leave the sport entirely to sign with WWE. The memories remain alive in the city, especially if you visit Flavio Canto’s judo school at Rocinha, a dangerous favela in Rio, where the belt she defended at UFC 190 still rests to this day.
A knockout for the ages
More than seven years have passed, but it’s still impossible to talk about Edson Barboza and not think of one of the greatest finishes in mixed martial arts history.
Barboza was opening the pay-per-view portion of UFC 142, an event that had experienced names like Gabriel Gonzaga, Iuri Alcantara, Michihiro Omigawa, Thiago Tavares, and Mike Pyle on the prelims. He was an undefeated prospect in the lightweight division, a winner of three straight in the UFC, and matched against grappling specialist Terry Etim.
A man of vicious kicks, Barboza failed to finish his previous two opponents, Anthony Njokuani and Ross Pearson, and was in need of a spectacular performance. He was comfortably heading to a decision victory against Etim, but the fight seemed to lack something. And just as I said that to another reporter cageside, he floored Etim in the final round.
The spinning-kick sequence was so spectacular and brutal that it dropped not only Etim’s jaw, but everyone else’s in attendance that night as well.
Another amazing Kick KO is Edson Barboza vs Terry Etim at UFC 142 in Rio! #DWCOTD pic.twitter.com/dmmDKlpEA5
— Dana White (@danawhite) October 5, 2015
“If you talk about UFC Rio, everyone remembers that knockout,” Barboza says. “I will retire from fighting and people will still talk about that kick when they are talking beautiful knockouts. To me, that’s the most beautiful knockout in UFC history.
“People started seeing me with different eyes after that knockout. I had a few UFC wins in a row, but after that knockout, everyone at 155 pounds started to see me differently. That knockout definitely put me in a different level, put me among the best in the division.”
Hero of the nation
Anderson Silva was the greatest middleweight alive, arguably the best fighter ever enter the Octagon, but for a long time he was not viewed as a star in Brazil. “The Spider” only become a huge name in his home country in Feb. 2011, when a front kick to the face sent Vitor Belfort down to the canvas at UFC 126. “The Phenom” was one of the most popular athletes in Brazil, and doing that to him earned Silva millions of fans.
It was all the UFC needed to finally make the move and book a card in Brazil. Years after a small 1998 show in Sao Paulo, held well before the Zuffa Era ever kicked off, “The Spider” was the perfect person to bring the company back to country.
The opponent never truly mattered, to be honest. They could’ve book Silva against anyone — the arena still would’ve sold out. So six months after stopping Belfort in Las Vegas, Silva clowned Yushin Okami for seven minutes before mercifully ending the championship contest with punches and elbows in the second round.
Soccer superstar Ronaldo, one of Silva’s agents at the time, cheered cageside as “The Spider” made the transition from respected fighter to local hero. Silva had dominated the sport for years, but his life changed at UFC 134.
“I’m thrilled to be fighting in Rio again, to be able to fight for my fans,” says Silva, who returns at UFC 237 against Jared Cannonier. “It’s one of my last fights, I don’t know when I’ll be fighting in Rio again — I hope I can fight soon in Brazil, but maybe I won’t. I’m super happy and excited to be able to share this stage with all the other Brazilians that will be fighting.
“It’s a big present that the UFC has given me, to fight here for my fans. It’s one of the last fights of my career, for sure. We’re approaching the end, but I’m happy to be fighting here.”
Throwing darts and flipping birds
Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor collided in one of the biggest fights in UFC history in Dec. 2015, but the bout was originally scheduled to take place in July. In the lead-up to the first date, the two featherweights flew around the United States, Canada, Europe, and Brazil in a historic world tour.
The first stop was Rio de Janeiro for a press conference. And the night before, “The Notorious” was invited by the UFC to visit an Irish pub in Ipanema.
The place was packed, and McGregor felt like a superstar. Sure, he heard some boos throughout the night, but he also felt at home.
As soon as he arrived at Shenanigan’s Pub, a photo of his rival was hanging in front of a target. McGregor wasn’t as precise with his darts as he was with his punches once the two rivals finally fought, but it didn’t matter.
Aldo wasn’t happy to see his photo being used as a target practice by McGregor, though.
The following morning, Dana White entered the arena and invited McGregor to join him for a press conference. The Irishman was showered with boos, and loved every second of it. Then the crowd went nuts when Aldo joined him, and grew even louder after Aldo blew a kiss to the audience followed by a finger to McGregor.
It was a memorable way to set the tone for a world tour that only grew hotter.
The Blessed Era
The “King of Rio” worked on solidifying himself at the top the featherweight division again after hurricane McGregor left town, but his return to the Marvelous City did not end the same way a second time around.
Seven months after “The Notorious” took his 145-pound title, Aldo scored another win over Frankie Edgar to capture an interim belt. Once the promotion needed a title to headline a pay-per-view card in Toronto, Aldo was declared undisputed champion in order to turn Max Holloway vs. Anthony Pettis into an interim title bout.
And at UFC 212, Aldo and Holloway finally met to decide who would run the division.
From the start, Holloway felt at home in Rio de Janeiro. The warm city air felt way better to a Hawaiian than the Canadian cold of the 10th island. Holloway embraced the boos at UFC 212’s open workout, and had the time of his life eating açaí at Big Polis.
Once fight night rolled around, Aldo had a strong start, but after “Blessed” picked up his pace, it was a one-way road until Aldo went down and Holloway pounded him out.
Aldo passed the baton that night in Rio, kicking off “The Blessed Era.”
“Surprise, surprise, surprise,” a happy Holloway said after the win. “The king is Max.”
Life-changing walkout
Among many top stars and young prospects featured at UFC 134, Paulo Thiago was a man looking for redemption.
The former Jungle Fight champion was thrown to the wolves in his Octagon debut two-and-a-half years before, matched against top-ranked welterweight Josh Koscheck, and he scored one of the biggest upsets in UFC history with a first-round knockout over the TUF veteran.
But after making such strong statement in his debut, he couldn’t face easier competition. Thiago took on Jon Fitch, Jacob Volkmann, Mike Swick, Martin Kampmann, and Diego Sanchez in his next five bouts, going 2-3 and failing to capitalize on his momentum.
Then, at the UFC’s first trip to Rio, Thiago closed the preliminary card against David Mitchell. Not a walk on the park, of course, but easier if compared to his previous competition.
Thiago’s entire career changed that night, but not for anything he did inside the cage. In fact, it was his walkout that got the job done for him.
The UFC welterweight was also a BOPE officer, the Brazilian police’s elite squad. And following the success of a movie called “Elite Squad” at the time, and the boosted popularity of Tihuana’s “Tropa de Elite” as the movie’s main soundtrack, the combination worked perfectly for the entrance of a police officer and fighter.
When Thiago entered the arena and more than 13,000 fans started signing along and chanting his nickname, “Caveira,” the UFC brass thought they had a star in their hands.
“I had more chances in the UFC, more than other people would have, because of that crowd. No doubt,” says Thiago, who would go on to win only one of his next seven fights in the UFC. “That moment will forever be in my head. That entrance was really cool.”
“The Lioness” arrives
The first woman to win multiple belts in the UFC kicked off her Octagon career at HSBC Arena in Rio.
Amanda Nunes debuted in the preliminary portion of UFC 163, facing off against Germany’s Sheila Gaff. She had a modest record at the time — an 8-3 start to her career capped off by a decision defeat under the Invicta FC banner months before — but she was dominant in her first appearance in the eight-sided cage, stopping Gaff with vicious elbows in only two minutes.
Nunes’ win flew under the radar then. If someone said at that time that she would go on to defeat the likes of Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg, few would’ve believed. But not long after, the Bahia native began an incredible eight-fight winning streak that included both women as victims, as well as a host of former and future champions.
The end of Spider’s run
Anderson Silva’s upcoming fight at UFC 237 will actually mark his third time competing in Rio de Janeiro, because 14 months after dominating Okami in 2011, “The Spider” received a desperate call from the UFC.
The company was set to return to the city with UFC 153, but a series of injuries forced the cancellation of several key fights, including Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar and Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira.
The UFC needed a top star to sell tickets to locals and pay-per-views worldwide, and Silva was healthy and somewhat ready to fight. When his manager called with the idea of fighting Stephan Bonnar at light heavyweight, Silva had one simple demand: “The Spider”, who was shooting a commercial alongside “Minotauro” Nogueira, would only agree to fight a 205-pounder on short notice if the company also gave his heavyweight friend a fight on the card.
The UFC obliged, setting Nogueira up for a scrap with Dave Herman in the co-main event. Minutes after Nogueira submitted Herman with an armbar, “The Spider” entered the cage for what may end up being his last moment of greatness inside the Octagon.
Silva has had flashes of his old self in some of his recent fights, but clowning a heavier opponent the way he did to Bonnar — inviting him to meet close to the fence, letting his opponent punch him in the face while telling his own cornermen to “calm down, I know what I’m doing” — that was too much. To close the show, all Silva had to do was land a vicious knee to the body to make Bonnar collapse.
It marked the final snapshot in a sequence of 16 straight UFC victories for Silva, a record that remains intact to this day.
And despite all that, it’s safe to say that Nogueira’s victory that night made Silva more emotional than his own.
“[When I think of] UFC Rio de Janeiro … I miss ‘Minotauro’ fighting,” Silva says. “It’s not the same thing to be on a card like this without ‘Minotauro’ fighting. Of course I’m super happy because ‘Minotouro’ (Antonio Rogerio Nogueira) will be there to share the Octagon with me [at UFC 237], but it’s different when ‘Minotauro’ is there. It feels different.”
“Minotauro” will still be inside the arena on Saturday, this time as an ambassador for the UFC in Brazil, but this time he’ll have to disguise his celebration if his old friend is victorious against Cannonier.
Honorable mentions:
- Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva war
- Mauricio Rua avenges defeat to Forrest Griffin
- Lyoto Machida stops Vitor Belfort in final UFC bout
- Claudia Gadelha stops Karolina Kowalkiewicz
- Vitor Belfort defeats Nate Marquardt in last UFC win
- Reginaldo Vieira and Glaico Franca are crowned the last TUF Brazil winners
- Demian Maia’s jiu-jitsu masterclasses over Rick Story and Neil Magny
- Jose Aldo finishes “The Korean Zombie”
- Vitor Belfort submits Anthony Johnson
- Gilbert Burns vs. Alex Oliveira war
- Rematch between “Shogun” Rua and Rogerio Nogueira
- Chaotic (and hilarious) non-finish scene in Rousimar Palhares vs. Dan Miller.