Renato Sobral da Cunha (; born 7 September 1975), also known as "Babalu", is a retired Brazilian

Luta Livre Luta Livre (, lit. ''freestyle fighting'' or ''wrestling''), known in Brazil as Luta Livre Brasileira (lit. ''Brazilian freestyle fighting'') or Luta Livre Submission, and also Brazilian Submission Wrestling, is a Brazilian martial arts and comb ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

, and was the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. Sobral previously fought in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

, where he posted a 6–4 record and has also competed for

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * ''Bellator'' (fish), a fish genus in the family Triglidae (sea robins) ** ...

, RINGS,

Jungle Fight Jungle Fight is a Brazilian mixed martial arts and kickboxing promotion. It was created in 2003. The name is derived from its origin, the Amazonas state in Brazil. History Jungle Fight was founded by pioneering MMA fighter and long-time Brazi ...

Cage Rage Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went into liquidation and is now no longer trading. Cage Rage had been owned and ma ...

, Affliction, and

ONE Championship ONE Championship, formerly ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) until January 2015, is a Multinational corporation, multinational combat sports Promoter (entertainment), promotion founded on 14 July 2011 by Chatri Sityodtong and Victor Cui. Origi ...

. He is the Head Instructor of Babalu's Iron Gym Cerritos and has a

black belt under

Marco Ruas Marco Antônio de Lima Ruas (; born 23 January 1961) is a Brazilian former mixed martial arts fighter, submission wrestling, submission wrestler, kickboxer and instructor. Ruas was the List of UFC champions#Tournament winners, UFC 7 Tournament ...

and also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under

Carlos Gracie Jr. Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie Jr. (born January 17, 1956) is a Brazilian 8th-degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner, instructor, and coach. A member of the Gracie family, he is the son of Carlos Gracie, one of the founders of Br ...

Background

Sobral is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and began competing in

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

from a young age of nine. Sobral a three-time Brazilian National Wrestling Champion in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Sobral joined the Gracie Barra Combat Team and trained in Ruas

Vale Tudo Vale Tudo or vale-tudo (; ), also known as No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few Regulation of sport, rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would eventua ...

, a

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

system developed by

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Sobral made his professional mixed martial arts debut on 27 September 1997 in his hometown of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

. He won all three of his fights on the same night by strikes and then had a one-fight stint in International Vale Tudo before fighting in Brazilian Vale Tudo on 24 July 1999. Sobral again won all three of his fights that night and then made his debut in the Japanese RINGS organization.

RINGS

Sobral made his RINGS debut against Georgian wrestler

Zaza Tkeshelashvili Zaza "Grom" Tkeshelashvili (Georgian language, Georgian: ზაზა ტყეშელაშვილი; born March 19, 1965) is a Georgian retired freestyle wrestling, freestyle wrestler and mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who compe ...

and won via

kimura Kimura (written: or lit. "tree village") is the 17th most common Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname *, Japanese novelist *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese botanist *, Japanese idol and singer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese s ...

arm submission. He followed this up with a unanimous decision win over British

kickboxer Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and ...

Lee Hasdell Lee Hasdell (born 13 December 1966)Sherdog profile
Retrieved 4 April 2019Dan Henderson Daniel Jeffery Henderson (born August 24, 1970) is an American former mixed martial artist and Olympic wrestler, who last competed as a Middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the last Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champi ...

. Sobral lost the fight via minority decision, two judges scored the bout a draw while a third judge scored the bout in Henderson's favor. Sobral then won his next four consecutive fights before losing to

Valentijn Overeem Valentijn Overeem (; born 17 August 1976) is a Dutch retired professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional competitor since 1996, he has previously fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, RINGS, KSW, the World Fighti ...

by a

toe hold A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock. Leglocks are featu ...

submission. After a one-fight stint in the UFC, he fought in RINGS three more times. He defeated

Kiyoshi Tamura is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Once a student of legendary professional wrestlers Billy Robinson, Lou Thesz and Akira Maeda, Tamura was known for his skills in catch wrestling and is considered to be on ...

via majority decision, followed this up with another majority decision win over Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. Sobral then faced Fedor Emilianenko at the 10th Anniversary show and lost via unanimous decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Sobral made his

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

debut at UFC 28 against former

UFC Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Maurice Smith. Sobral won the fight via unanimous decision. Sobral next fought

Kevin Randleman Kevin Christopher Randleman (August 10, 1971 – February 11, 2016) was an American mixed martial artist, amateur and professional wrestler, and former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Randleman's background was in collegiate wrestling, in which he ...

UFC 35 ''UFC 35: Throwdown'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on January 11, 2002. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later releas ...

on 11 January 2002. He lost via unanimous decision. Sobral's next fight was against

Elvis Sinosic Elvis Sinosic (born 13 February 1971) is an Australian retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He also competed in the Cage Rage Championships, K-1, and Pancrase. Sinosic is currentl ...

UFC 38 ''UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom, on July 13, 2002. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United Sta ...

on 13 July 2002. He won via unanimous decision. Sobral next fought

Chuck Liddell Charles David Liddell (born December 17, 1969) is an American former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1998 to 2018, Liddell is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (from 2005 to 2007) and i ...

UFC 40 ''UFC 40: Vendetta'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 22, 2002, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The event was broadcast live on pay per view in the Unit ...

on 22 November 2002. He lost via head kick in the first round. He left the

in early 2003 and fought for minor and local promotions until his return in 2005. Sobral returned to the

UFC 52 ''UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 16, 2005, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Cana ...

against

Travis Wiuff Travis Wiuff (born March 15, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist competing in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2001 and List of mixed martial artists with the most sanctioned fights, veteran of o ...

on 16 April 2005. He won the fight via

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it will immobilize an opponent and pin them on the ground. An armlock t ...

in the second round. Sobral next fought future

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

and

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight. The light heavyweight class has ...

title challenger

Chael Sonnen Chael Sonnen (; born April 3, 1977) is an American submission grappling promoter, mixed martial arts (MMA) analyst, and retired mixed martial artist. Beginning his MMA career in 1997, Sonnen competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

UFC 55 ''UFC 55: Fury'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 7, 2005 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later releas ...

on 7 October 2005. He won the fight via

triangle choke A triangle choke, or sankaku-jime (三角絞) in judo, is a type of figure-four chokehold that encircles the opponent's neck and one arm with the legs in a configuration similar to the shape of a triangle. Applying pressure using both legs and ...

in the second round. Sobral's next fight was at

UFC 57 ''UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 4, 2006. It was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, and broadcast live on pay-per-view in ...

against Mike Van Arsdale on 4 February 2006. He won the fight via

rear naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC), also known as hadaka jime (裸絞) in Judo and "lion killer choke (Mata Leão)" in BJJ, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word ''naked'' in this context suggests that, unlike other stra ...

in the first round. At

UFC 62 ''UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 26, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the ...

, Sobral was defeated by

in a rematch for the

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...

. The match was stopped as a

technical knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...

at 95 seconds into the first round. Following his loss to Liddell, Sobral faced

Jason Lambert Jason L. Lambert (born September 23, 1977) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2001 until 2013, he competed for the UFC, WEC, Bellator, King of the Cage, and AFC. He is the former WEC light heavyweight champion. Mi ...

UFC 68 ''UFC 68: The Uprising'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 3, 2007, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Background ''UFC 68'' was the first UFC event held in the state of Ohio, and coincide ...

. Sobral was knocked out in the second round.

UFC 74 controversy

Sobral's next fight was at ''

UFC 74 ''UFC 74: Respect'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 25, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was a UFC Heavyweight Championship bo ...

'' against David Heath. The first round consisted of Sobral ground and pounding Heath. In the second round, he opened a cut on Heath's forehead which bled profusely. Sobral secured another takedown and then worked to an

anaconda choke Arm triangle choke, side choke, or head and arm choke are generic terms describing blood chokeholds in which the opponent is strangled in between their own shoulder and the practitioner's arm. This is as opposed to the regular triangle choke, whic ...

. Heath tapped out, but Sobral continued to hold the anaconda choke, ignoring referee Steve Mazzagatti's commands and resisting his attempts to break the hold. Sobral did not release the choke until Heath passed out from hypoxia. During his post-fight interview, Sobral told UFC commentator

Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', which is o ...

that he was aware that Heath had tapped, but "he (Heath) has to learn respect. He deserved that. He called me motherfucker." In his dressing room after the fight, Sobral spoke to ''Las Vegas Journal-Review''

columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (periodical), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the ...

Ed Graney. Sobral then mocked the crowd for booing him, saying "The crowd didn't like it? Who cares? At least they had a reaction." On 30 August 2007, Sobral was released from his contractual obligations by the UFC due to his actions at

, with UFC President

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...

calling Sobral's actions "completely unacceptable. This is the fight game and shit happens. But no way can you do what he did." White also supported the fans attitude towards Sobral after the fight. "I think you saw the response from the fans. Babalu was a fan favorite. They turned on him immediately." Additionally, the

Nevada State Athletic Commission The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxer ...

withheld $25,000 of Sobral's $50,000 fight purse and convened a hearing to deal with both his holding the choke and ignoring Mazzagatti's orders.

Strikeforce and Affliction

After the termination of his deal with the UFC, Renato Sobral was courted by numerous promotions looking to sign him. During the 29 September

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games *Strike Force (video game), ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *''Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *''Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *' ...

event at the

Playboy Mansion The Playboy Mansion, also known as the Playboy Mansion West, is the former home of ''Playboy'' magazine founder Hugh Hefner, who lived there from 1971 until his death in 2017. Barbi Benton convinced Hefner to buy the home located in Holmby H ...

it was announced that Sobral had signed a non-exclusive deal with Strikeforce. It has since been revealed that he signed two more non-exclusive deals with Hardcore Championship Fighting and Xcess Fighting. Sobral also later competed in an event for the Ring of Fire promotion, defeating

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...

veteran

Rodney Faverus Rodney Glunder (born as ''Rodney Faverus'', March 1, 1975) is a retired Dutch professional kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and boxer, current actor, entrepreneur, bodybuilder and convicted rapist. He has fought for M-1 Glob ...

by submission (arm triangle choke). Sobral was scheduled to fight fellow UFC veteran Vernon "Tiger" White in a match to crown the first WCO Light Heavyweight Champion. However, because the show's promoters were unable to secure adequate funding to pay the fighters, the show was canceled at the last minute by the

California State Athletic Commission The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) regulates amateur and professional boxing, amateur and professional kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts (MMA) throughout the State by licensing all participants and supervising the event ...

. Sobral then signed with

Affliction Entertainment Affliction Entertainment was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company created by Affliction Clothing in 2008. The UFC prohibited its fighters from wearing Affliction clothing after learning Affliction was applying to become an MMA ...

's MMA promotion and appeared at Affliction: Banned on 19 July, defeating

Mike Whitehead Michael Joe Whitehead (born June 29, 1981) is a former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight weight classes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, IFL, Affliction, and Strikeforce. Mixed mart ...

by unanimous decision. Sobral's next fight was against

Bobby Southworth Bobby Southworth (born December 16, 1969) is an American retired mixed martial artist who fought in the Light Heavyweight division. He has fought in PRIDE FC and appeared on Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter. He was the first Strikeforce Light He ...

in San Jose, California on 21 November for the Strikeforce promotion. Babalu defeated Southworth via TKO due to a cut over the right eye in between round one and two, making him the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. Sobral next fought his second fight for Affliction, this time against

Sokoudjou Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Nkamhoua (; born April 18, 1984), mostly billed simply as Sokoudjou, is a Cameroonian professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2006, Sokoudjou is the former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, KSW Light He ...

at Affliction: Day of Reckoning on 24 January 2009 in a light heavyweight fight. The fight ended in the second round when Babalu submitted Sokoudjou with a D'arce choke. After his victory he showed an interest in fighting former

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

Tito Ortiz Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz () is an American politican and retired mixed martial artist and Submission grappling, submission grappler. Ortiz is best known for his career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC ...

. Sobral was set to fight fellow Brazilian Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante at the past event Strikeforce Presents: Lawler Vs. Shields in St. Louis, Missouri on 6 June 2009, but the bout was scratched. The bout would have been for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship. Sobral was next set to make his third appearance for Affliction in a fight against

Gegard Mousasi Gegard Mousasi (born 1 August 1985) is a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. Mousasi most recently competed in Bellator MMA, where he is the former two-time Bellator Middleweight Champion. He is also the former DREAM Light Heavywe ...

at Affliction: Trilogy, but the event was canceled after losing its main event. The fight was then moved to Strikeforce's 15 August card, '' Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg'' and changed into a bout for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship with Sobral as the titleholder. Sobral lost the title to Mousasi via knockout in the first round. Sobral last fought

Robbie Lawler Robert Glenn Lawler (born March 20, 1982) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed between 2001 and 2023. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion, former EliteXC Middleweight Champion, and has formerly competed in ...

in a 195 lbs

Catchweight A catchweight is a term used in combat sports, such as boxing or mixed martial arts, to describe a weight limit that does not adhere to the traditional limits for weight classes. In boxing, a catchweight is negotiated prior to weigh-ins, which are ...

bout on 16 June 2010 at Strikeforce: Los Angeles. Renato Sobral won via unanimous decision. After defeating

it was believed that Sobral would face

Muhammed Lawal Muhammed Lawal (born January 11, 1981), also known as "King Mo", is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. As a mixed martial artist, he is a former Strikeforc ...

for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title. However, in his post-fight interview Sobral stated that he would not fight Lawal and instead requested a rematch with

Dan Henderson Daniel Jeffery Henderson (born August 24, 1970) is an American former mixed martial artist and Olympic wrestler, who last competed as a Middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the last Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champi ...

who he fought over ten years ago. Sobral's request was later fulfilled and he fought

at Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II on 4 December 2010. Sobral was knocked out in the first round.

ONE Championship

In late December 2011, After one year of inactivity Sobral signed an exclusive deal with Singaporean MMA promotion

also known as ONE FC, ONE FC officials stated that Sobral has "global exclusivity" with the promotion. Sobral was slated to fight

Melvin Manhoef Melvin Manhoef (born 11 May 1976) is a retired Surinamese people, Surinamese-born Dutch people, Dutch mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Kickboxing, kickboxer. In kickboxing, he is a former It's Showtime (kickboxing), It's Showtime Middl ...

on 31 March 2012 at ONE Fighting Championship 3 which was to be held at the

Singapore Indoor Stadium The Singapore Indoor Stadium, known exonymously as the Indoor Stadium, is an indoor arena located in Kallang, Singapore. It is within walking distance of the Singapore National Stadium, and collectively form a part of the wider Singapore S ...

Kallang Kallang ( ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential zone located in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the l ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

but the two sides were unable to agree on a weight and he instead became the

coach in

Wanderlei Silva Wanderlei César da Silva ( , , ; born 3 July 1976) is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He holds the record for the most wins, knockouts, ...

's team on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Sobral returned to action in the main event of ONE FC 4 on 23 June. He defeated

Tatsuya Mizuno is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has fought for DREAM, Pancrase, DEEP, M-1 Global, ProElite, ONE FC, K-1, and also participated in the Dynamite!! 2010 ...

at ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors in

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

, via an armbar submission in the first round. The stoppage came less than a minute into the first round.

Bellator Fighting Championships

Sobral faced Combat

Sambo Sambo may refer to: Places * Sambo, Angola, a commune in Tchicala Tcholohanga, Huambo Province, Angola * Sambo Creek, a village in Honduras People * Ferdy Sambo (born 1973), former Indonesian police general * Khem Sambo (1961–2011), Cambodi ...

Russia National Champion

Mikhail Zayats Mikhail Zayats (;born October 14, 1981) is an ethnic Russian former professional mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division. He has also competed in M-1 Global. Mixed martial arts career M-1 Global ...

on 17 January 2013 at

Bellator 85 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Despite the loss, Sobral competed in Bellator's Light Heavyweight summer series tournament on

Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (Broderick book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter ...

. He faced

Jacob Noe Jacob Noe (born July 29, 1980) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor from 2000 until 2013, he also competed for Strikeforce. Background Noe was bo ...

in the opening round of a 4-man tournament at

Bellator 96 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

on 19 June 2013. Sobral lost when the referee stopped the fight for a standing TKO. After the fight, Sobral announced his retirement from MMA.

Submission grappling career

Metamoris

Dean Lister Dean Richard Lister (born February 13, 1976) is a retired American mixed martial artist (MMA) and submission grappler. He is a 4th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt, luta livre black belt, and coach. Lister is considered a pioneer o ...

and Renato Sobral fought to a draw at

Metamoris Metamoris is a defunct submission grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu promotion, founded by Ralek Gracie, and executive producer Eddie Marquez that organized events in Los Angeles, California. Live events of Metamoris were broadcast via internet pay ...

3 in a

submission grappling Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting, or simply grappling, is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates eleme ...

match.

and Renato Sobral fought to a draw in a trilogy fight at Metamoris 6 in a

match.

Personal life

Sobral and his wife Natasha have two daughters, who were born in May 2009. He has both their names tattooed on him. His nickname comes from a brand of bubblegum that he used to chew (

Bubbaloo Bubbaloo is a Latin American brand of bubble gum Bubble gum (or bubblegum) is a type of chewing gum, designed to be inflated out of the mouth as a bubble. Composition In modern chewing gum, if natural rubber such as chicle is used, it mus ...

). In October 2008 he opened his own gym,

Gracie Barra Gracie Barra (GB) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy and team co-funded in 1986 by Carlos Gracie Jr., a son of Carlos Gracie, one of the founders of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. History The Gracie Barra academy was established in 1986 by Carlos Grac ...

Cerritos, in

Cerritos, California Cerritos (; Spanish for "Little hills") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was municipal corporation, incorporated on ...

. In 2010, his gym changed to Babalu's Iron Gym. Sobral was awarded his Brazilian jiu-jitsu third degree black belt in August 2017 from Roberto "Gordo" Correa. Appeared in the video ''Still I Rise'' by the American heavy metal band

Shadows Fall Shadows Fall is an American metalcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1996. Although Shadows Fall has experienced several line-up changes, for most of its recording career, Shadows Fall has been composed of guitarists Jon Donais and ...

. In May 2019 Sobral revealed that he was suffering from symptoms consistent with early onset of CTE.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship (One time) *

** UFC Encyclopedia Awards *** Submission of the Night (One time) * Fighting Network RINGS ** 1999 RINGS King of Kings Tournament Runner-up *International Fighting Championships **International Fighting Championships Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner

Amateur wrestling

International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

**2001 Pan American Championships Senior Freestyle (6th Place) *Confederação Brasileira de Lutas Associadas **Brazil Senior Freestyle National Championship (1998)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 37–12 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:32 ,

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, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:49 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 37–10 ,

, Submission (armbar) , ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:31 ,

, Malaysia , , - , Loss , align=center, 36–10 ,

, KO (punches) , Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:53 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 36–9 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Los Angeles , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 35–9 ,

, KO (punches) , Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 35–8 ,

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Nkamhoua (; born April 18, 1984), mostly billed simply as Sokoudjou, is a Cameroonian professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2006, Sokoudjou is the former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, KSW Light He ...

, Submission (D'Arce choke) , Affliction: Day of Reckoning , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:36 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 34–8 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , Strikeforce: Destruction , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 33–8 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Affliction: Banned , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 32–8 ,

Rodney Glunder Rodney Glunder (born as ''Rodney Faverus'', March 1, 1975) is a retired Dutch professional kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and boxer, current actor, entrepreneur, bodybuilder and convicted rapist. He has fought for M-1 G ...

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Ring of Fire 30: Babalu vs. Glunder , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:31 ,

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 31–8 , David Heath , Technical Submission (anaconda choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:30 ,

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 30–8 ,

, KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:26 ,

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 30–7 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:35 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 30–6 , Mike van Arsdale , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:21 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 29–6 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) , UFC 55: Fury , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 28–6 ,

, Submission (armbar) , UFC 52: Couture vs Liddell , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:24 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 27–6 , Pierre Guillet , TKO (submission to punches) , Cage Rage 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:57 ,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, United Kingdom , , - , Win , align=center, 26–6 ,

Cyrille Diabaté Cyrille Moktar Diabaté (born October 6, 1973) is a retired French mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He has also competed in shoot boxing and Muay Thai. He has fought at Palace Fighting Championship, Tachi Palace Fights, PRIDE, ShoXC, Deep, ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , Cage Rage 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:38 ,

, United Kingdom , , - , Win , align=center, 25–6 , José Landi-Jons , Decision (unanimous) , Jungle Fight 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Manaus Manaus () is the List of capitals of subdivisions of Brazil, capital and largest city of the States of Brazil, Brazilian state of Amazonas (Brazilian state), Amazonas. It is the List of largest cities in Brazil, seventh-largest city in Brazil, w ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 24–6 , Jeremy Horn , Decision (unanimous) , IFC: Global Domination , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–6 , Maurício Rua , Submission (guillotine choke) , IFC: Global Domination , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:07 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–6 , Trevor Prangley , Decision (unanimous) , IFC: Global Domination , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–6 , Marcelo Azevedo , Decision (unanimous) , Heat FC 1: Genesis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–6 ,

, Decision , Hitman Fighting 3 , , align=center, N/A , align=center, N/A , Santa Ana, California, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–5 ,

, KO (head kick) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:55 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United Kingdom , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–3 , Fedor Emelianenko , Decision (unanimous) , 2001 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings: 10th Anniversary, Rings: 10th Anniversary , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 19–2 , Tsuyoshi Kohsaka , Decision (majority) , 2001 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings: World Title Series 2, Rings: World Title Series 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 18–2 ,

, Decision (majority) , 2001 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings: King of Kings 2000 Final, Rings: King of Kings 2000 Final , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 17–2 , Maurice Smith , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 28 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , New Jersey, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–2 ,

, Submission (toe hold) , 2000 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings: King of Kings 2000 Block A, Rings: King of Kings 2000 Block A , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:19 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 16–1 , Tariel Bitsadze , Submission (armbar) , 2000 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings: King of Kings 2000 Block A, Rings: King of Kings 2000 Block A , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:58 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1 , Hiromitsu Kanehara , Decision (unanimous) , 2000 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings: Millennium Combine 2, Rings: Millennium Combine 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Jacob Zobnin , Submission (rear-naked choke) , 2000 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings Russia: Russia vs. The World, Rings Russia: Russia vs. The World , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:20 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Travis Fulton , Submission (armbar) , 2000 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings: Millennium Combine 1, Rings: Millennium Combine 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:49 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–1 ,

, Decision (majority) , 2000 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings: King of Kings 1999 Final, Rings: King of Kings 1999 Final , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 , Mikhail Ilyukhin , Submission (armbar) , 2000 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings: King of Kings 1999 Final, Rings: King of Kings 1999 Final , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:40 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Brad Kohler , KO (soccer kick) , WEF: Goin' Platinum , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:50 , Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 ,

Lee Hasdell Lee Hasdell (born 13 December 1966)Sherdog profile
Retrieved 4 April 2019Zaza Tkeshelashvili Zaza "Grom" Tkeshelashvili (Georgian language, Georgian: ზაზა ტყეშელაშვილი; born March 19, 1965) is a Georgian retired freestyle wrestling, freestyle wrestler and mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who compe ...

, Submission (kimura) , King of Kings Tournament 1999#King of Kings 1999 Block A, Rings: King of Kings 1999 Block A , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:11 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Dario Amorim , TKO (submission to punches) , BVF 14: Circuito Brasileiro de Vale Tudo 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:14 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Pedro Otavio , TKO (submission to punches) , BVF 14: Circuito Brasileiro de Vale Tudo 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:34 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Augusto Menezes Santos , Submission (americana) , BVF 14: Circuito Brasileiro de Vale Tudo 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:56 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Fernando Cerchiari , KO (punches) , IVC 8: The Road Back to the Top , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:41 , Aracaju, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Marco Vinicios , TKO (retirement) , Desafio: Rio vs. São Paulo , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:58 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Manoel Vicente , TKO (punches and stomp) , Desafio: Rio vs. São Paulo , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 6:27 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Claudio Palma , TKO (submission to leg kicks) , Desafio: Rio vs. São Paulo , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:08 ,

, Brazil ,

Submission grappling record

{, class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:80%; text-align:left;" , - , colspan=8 style="text-align:center;" , 4 Matches, 0 Wins, 1 Losses, 3 Draws , - ! Result ! Rec. ! Opponent ! Method ! text-center, Event ! Date ! Location , - , Draw , , align=center, 0–1–3, , Clay Guida , , Draw , , Quintet Ultra , , 12 December 2019 , , Las Vegas,

, - , Loss , , align=center, 0–1–2, , Roberto Godoi , , Decision · Points , , BJJ Stars: Black Belt Edition , , 24 February 2019 , , São Paulo, Brazil , - , Draw , , align=center, 0–0–2, ,

, , Draw , , Metamoris 6 , , 9 May 2015 , , Los Angeles,

, - , Draw , , align=center, 0–0–1, ,

, , Draw , , Metamoris 3 , , 9 March 2014 , , Los Angeles,

, -

References

External links

B.I.G. (Babalu's Iron Gym)
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sobral, Renato Brazilian male mixed martial artists Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing catch wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Luta Livre Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Strikeforce (mixed martial arts) champions Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Martial artists from Rio de Janeiro (city) Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Living people 1975 births Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian submission wrestlers Brazilian male sport wrestlers Brazilian catch wrestlers Brazilian male Muay Thai practitioners