Mario Pinto
Brazilian professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mario Pinto (born Mario João Jauad Pinto; 14 March 1998) is a Portuguese professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).[3] A professional competitor since October 2021, he previously competed for FightStar Championship and Levels Fight League.[4]
March 14, 1998
Lisbon, Portugal
| Mario Pinto[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mario João Jauad Pinto March 14, 1998 Lisbon, Portugal |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Team | Fightzone London |
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 12 |
| Wins | 12 |
| By knockout | 7 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 4 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
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.[5] Pinto took his first amateur bout in March 2018 and went on to compile an amateur MMA record of 5–1.[4]
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.[4]
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.[4][6] Pinto later defended the title in October 2023 against Benjamin Šehić, winning by third-round TKO.[4][7] His second and final defence came in February 2024 against Kasim Aras whom he defeated by unanimous decision.[8][4]
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.[4][9] He made his promotional debut in March 2025 at UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev, defeating Austen Lane by second-round knockout.[4] 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.[4]
Pinto was scheduled to face Mick Parkin at UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs. Murphy on 21 March 2026, however the bout was cancelled and Pinto was instead matched against Felipe Franco.[10] Pinto won by unanimous decision.[4]
Pinto is scheduled to face Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs Parnasse on September 5, 2026.[11]
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
|---|---|---|
| 12 matches | Wins | Losses |
| Total | 12 | 0 |
| By knockout | 7 | 0 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 4 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upcoming | — | Ryan Spann | — | UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs. Parnasse | September 5, 2026 | — | — | Paris, France | |
| Win | 12–0 | Felipe Franco | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Evolev vs. Murphy | March 21, 2026 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Win | 11–0 | Jhonata Diniz | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs. Gamrot | October 1, 2025 | 2 | 4:10 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 10–0 | Austen Lane | KO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayevv | March 1, 2025 | 2 | 0:39 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | UFC debut |
| Win | 9–0 | Lucas Triverio Camacho | KO (punches) | Dana White's Contender Series 75 | October 8th, 2024 | 1 | 1:43 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 8–0 | Kasim Aras | Decision (unanimous) | LFL 10 - Levels Fight League 11 | February 18, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Defended Levels Fight League Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | 7–0 | Benjamin Sehic | TKO (punches) | LFL 10 - Levels Fight League 10 | October 29, 2023 | 3 | 1:18 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Defended Levels Fight League Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | 6–0 | Moreno Kacapor | Decision (unanimous) | LFL - Heavyweight Grand Prix | March 11, 2023 | 3 | 3:00 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Won Levels Fight League Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | 5–0 | Aladin Ben Halima | Decision (unanimous) | LFL - Heavyweight Grand Prix | March 11, 2023 | 3 | 2:00 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |
| Win | 4–0 | Filip Bradaric | KO (punch) | LFL - Heavyweight Grand Prix | March 11, 2023 | 1 | 1:28 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |
| Win | 3–0 | Maxwell Djantou Nana | Submission (rear naked choke) | FSC 22 - FightStar Championship 22 | July 15, 2022 | 1 | N/A | London, England | |
| Win | 2–0 | Besart Berisha | KO | FSC 21 - FightStar Championship 21 | March 19, 2022 | 1 | 1:07 | London, England | |
| Win | 1–0 | Joffie Houlton | KO | Contenders East Anglia - Contenders Norwich 31 | October 2, 2021 | 1 | N/A | London, England |