5 most dominant Brazilian champions in UFC history

#4. Renan Barao – former UFC bantamweight champion

Going into 2014, Renan Barao, the then-UFC bantamweight champion, was regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. At the time, he held a near-perfect professional record of 32-1 (1 NC), with the solitary blemish coming in his first-ever pro MMA fight.

Barao previously hadn't tasted defeat in almost a decade and was reigning over the 135-pound weight class with an iron fist. He captured the belt in 2012 with a win over Urijah Faber and went on to record three title defenses–against Eddie Wineland, Michael McDonald, and Faber again.

Barao looked set to rule over the bantamweight division for a long time, as there were seemingly no holes in his game. He had effective striking, lethal submission skills and impaccable takedown defense, making him a real force to be reckoned with at 135 pounds. Considering the lack of depth in the division at the time, it appeared as though he wouldn't be dethroned anytime soon.

Just under four months after his second victory over Urijah Faber, the MMA world witnessed a massive shock as TUF alum T.J. Dillashaw became the new banatmweight champion.

Dillashaw was a massive underdog going into the bout. Nevertheless, he dominated Barao throughout their fight and eventually came away with a fifth-round TKO victory, ending the Brazilian's nine-year unbeaten run.

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#3. Amanda Nunes – former UFC women's bantamweight champion

Amanda Nunes is one of the greatest female fighters to ever grace the octagon. After going 2-1 in her first three fights in the UFC, Nunes was regarded as just another competitor in the women's bantamweight division, back when Ronda Rousey was the reigning champion.

Nunes made her way up the rankings with wins over Shayna Baszler, Sara McMann and Valentina Shevchenko to earn a title shot. In 2016, she won the title with a scorching first-round submission victory over Miesha Tate.

She then beat Rousey, cementing her status as the best female at 135 pounds in the world. With no new contenders for then-featherweight queen Cris Cyborg, Nunes made a successful move up a division to become the first-ever two-division female champion.

All the way until late 2021, Nunes held the No.1 spot in the women's pound-for-pound rankings. She defended her bantamweight title five times, in addition to defending her featherweight strap twice. It felt as though the self-proclaimed GOAT was running out of real challengers going into UFC 269, where she took on Julianna Pena, who was 2-2 in her last four fights.

Pena took the fight to Nunes unlike anyone had done previously, repeatedly catching the long-reigning titleholder with her jab. In the second round, the champion looked noticeably fatigued. Sensing her opportunity, Pena dragged the Brazilian down to the mat and locked in a rear-naked choke to complete one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history.