Draft:Mario Pinto
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mario Pinto (born 14 March 1998) is a Portuguese professional mixed martial artist.[1] He competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).[2] A professional competitor since October 2021, he previously competed for FightStar Championship and Levels Fight League.[3]
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Early life and amateur career
Pinto was born in Portugal to parents from Guinea-Bissau before moving to Britain at a young age. He decided to pursue a career in mixed martial arts (MMA) as a teenager and later earned a degree in Sport and Exercise Science.[4] Pinto took his first amateur bout in March 2018 and went on to compile an amateur MMA record of 5–1.[3]
Professional career
He made his professional debut in October 2021 at Contenders 31, where he faced Joffie Houlton and won the bout via first-round technical knockout (TKO). He then competed twice for FightStar Championship, defeating Berat Berisha by first-round TKO at FightStar Championship 21. Pinto followed this with his first professional submission victory at FightStar Championship 22, submitting Maxwell Djantou Nana via rear-naked choke.[3]
In March 2023, he competed in the Levels Fight League (LFL) Heavyweight Grand Prix. Fighting three times in a single night, Pinto defeated Filip Bradarić by knockout in the first round, advancing to the semi-finals where he earned a unanimous decision victory over Aladin Ben Halima after three rounds. In the final he faced Moreno Kacapor and won by unanimous decision, capturing the LFL Heavyweight Championship.[3][5] Pinto later defended the title in October 2023 against Benjamin Šehić, winning by third-round TKO.[3][6] His second and final defence came in February 2024 against Kasim Aras whom he defeated by unanimous decision.[7][3]
Pinto competed on Dana White's Contender Series in October 2024, facing Lucas Triverio Camacho. He won the bout via first-round knockout, earning a contract with the UFC.[3][8] He made his promotional debut in March 2025 at UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev, defeating Austen Lane by second-round knockout.[3] The victory earned him the Performance of the Night award. Pinto returned in October 2025 at UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs. Gamrot against Jhonata Diniz. He won the fight by second-round TKO.[3]
As of February 2026, Pinto is scheduled to face Mick Parkin at UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs. Murphy on 21 March 2026.[9]