Did Dione Barbosa compete in the Olympics? A look at the UFC fighter's judo career

Dione Barbosa had witnessed competition firsthand way before she made it into the UFC. The Brazilian flyweight has a successful judo career, having won seven Brazilian National Judo Championships and earned medals in Grand Slams, Grand Prix, and World Cups.

Former UFC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg has enlisted Barbosa's help in the past to sharpen her judo skills. Barbosa, who represented Brazil at the London Olympics, was once regarded as one of the sport’s brightest prospects. However, she decided to retire from the sport to commit to mixed martial arts completely.

Barbosa made her professional MMA debut in 2018 and has compiled a record of 8-3 with four wins by submission. She has shown a strong finishing ability, with all her submission victories coming in the first round.

In he last outing in April, she captured a submission win over Diana Belbita via arm-triangle choke. That result followed a loss to Miranda Maverick in July 2024 and a unanimous decision victory over Ernesta Kareckaite in May 2024.

The 33-year-old fights out of Kings MMA in Belo Horizonte and carries black belts in both judo and jiu-jitsu. She also holds a light blue rank in Muay Thai.

Barbosa is set for her next challenge against Karine Silva at UFC 319 on Aug. 16. Silva brings an 18-5 record and a dangerous submission game, making it a stylistically intriguing matchup between two fighters who thrive on the mat. A win could place Barbosa closer to the ranked contenders in the women’s flyweight division.

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When Dione Barbosa claimed that she is still putting the pieces together for MMA

The eight-month gap between Dione Barbosa’s second and third UFC bouts gave her time to work on her skills and mindset. In a past interview with UFC, she claimed that she's focused on refining her game plan by blending her striking and grappling into a more complete style.

Her preparation for Diana Belbita earlier this year reflected that, as she secured a first-round submission. Speaking in the interview with UFC, she said:

“I’ve been putting together all the pieces about the MMA game. So, the striking with grappling and the game plan. This time I tried to work a lot and make my MMA game plan solid." [H/t: UFC]

She added:

"My first fight was in my country, it was my debut. It was a lot of emotion, my family there and everything. The second fight was short notice, so everything happened so fast. Now, I've done this twice, I know where I am and everything, so I feel more comfortable. I think this is the way I want to step inside the octagon, too.”