MARTIAL ARTS from Brazil

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Brazilian Martial Arts of all time. This list of famous Brazilian Martial Arts is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Brazilian Martial Arts.

1. Hélio Gracie (1913 - 2009)

With an HPI of 55.10, Hélio Gracie is the most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages on wikipedia.

Hélio Gracie (October 1, 1913 – January 29, 2009) was a Brazilian martial artist who together with his brothers Oswaldo, Gastao Jr, George and Carlos Gracie founded and developed the self-defense martial art system of Gracie jiu-jitsu, also known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ). Considered as the Godfather of BJJ, according to his son Rorion, Gracie is one of the first sports heroes in Brazilian history; he was named Man of the Year in 1997 by the American martial arts publication Black Belt magazine. A patriarch of the Gracie family, multiple members of his family have gone on to have successful careers in combat sport competition including mixed martial arts (MMA).

2. Anderson Silva (1975 - )

With an HPI of 47.77, Anderson Silva is the 2nd most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Anderson da Silva (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈɐ̃deʁsõ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 14 April 1975) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional boxer. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. This started in 2006 and ended in 2013 and included a UFC record 16 consecutive victories in that span. Silva left the UFC in November 2020 and returned to boxing. UFC president Dana White, UFC commentator Joe Rogan and numerous mixed martial arts (MMA) pundits have named Silva as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. Silva was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2023.

3. Royce Gracie (1966 - )

With an HPI of 45.38, Royce Gracie is the 3rd most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Royce Gracie (Portuguese: [ˈʁɔjsi ˈɡɾejsi]; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer, and is considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of mixed martial arts (MMA). He also competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1's MMA events, and Bellator. In 1993 and 1994, Gracie was the tournament winner of UFC 1, UFC 2 and UFC 4, which were openweight single-elimination tournaments with minimal rules. He used his skills in submission grappling to defeat larger and heavier opponents. He was also known for his rivalry with Ken Shamrock, whom he beat in UFC 1 and then fought to a draw in the rematch for the Superfight Championship at UFC 5. Royce later competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships, where he is most remembered for his 90-minute bout against catch wrestler Kazushi Sakuraba in 2000, and a controversial "judo vs jiu-jitsu" mixed rules match against Hidehiko Yoshida, an Olympic gold medalist in judo, at PRIDE Shockwave in 2002. Royce Gracie's success in the UFC popularized Gracie jiu-jitsu (commonly known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu) and revolutionized mixed martial arts, contributing to the movement towards grappling and ground fighting. For his pioneering in mixed martial arts, Gracie was the first inductee to the UFC Hall of Fame in 2003 alongside his once-rival Ken Shamrock. In 2016, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.

4. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (1976 - )

With an HPI of 44.51, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is the 4th most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈtoniu ʁoˈdɾiɡu noˈɡejɾɐ], born 2 June 1976), better known as Minotauro or Big Nog, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is the twin brother of UFC fighter Antônio Rogério Nogueira. Nogueira rose to prominence in Japanese promotions Fighting Network RINGS where he won the 2000 RINGS King of Kings tournament, and later with Pride Fighting Championships, where he was the first Pride Heavyweight Champion from November 2001 to March 2003, as well as a 2004 PRIDE FC Heavyweight Grand Prix Finalist. He is one of only three men to have held championship titles in both Pride Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the others being Mauricio Rua and Mark Coleman).

5. José Aldo (1986 - )

With an HPI of 42.76, José Aldo is the 5th most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júnior (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒoˈzɛ ˈawdu]; born 9 September 1986), known as José Aldo, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who currently competes in the Bantamweight division of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after previously competing at Featherweight, and was the fourth and final WEC Featherweight Champion. He became the first UFC Featherweight Champion following the UFC/WEC merger. Aldo is often regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time, and is considered to be the greatest featherweight of all time after defending his UFC title seven times and his WEC title twice. After his first MMA defeat in November 2005, Aldo remained undefeated for over a decade, winning 18 straight fights until UFC 194 in December 2015, when he lost to Conor McGregor. He was named Sherdog's 2009 Fighter of the Year. In Sherdog's April 2017 pound-for-pound ranking, Aldo was called "the greatest featherweight in mixed martial arts history."

6. Fabrício Werdum (1977 - )

With an HPI of 42.71, Fabrício Werdum is the 6th most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Fabrício Werdum (Portuguese pronunciation: [faˈbɾisju veʁˈdũ]; born 30 July 1977) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Heavyweight Champion and a member of the ADCC Hall of Fame. He holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo, and Muay Thai. Werdum has competed in PRIDE, the UFC, Strikeforce, and Jungle Fight. At the time of his departure from the UFC, Werdum was #14 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

7. Wanderlei Silva (1976 - )

With an HPI of 42.28, Wanderlei Silva is the 7th most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Wanderlei César da Silva ( VAN-dər-lay, Brazilian Portuguese: [vɐ̃deʁˈlej ˈsɛzɐʁ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ], Japanese: [bandaɾeː ɕi.ɯba]; 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, title defenses and longest winning streak in PRIDE history. He is the former PRIDE Middleweight Champion and the 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion. He most recently competed for Bellator MMA in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. In February 2024, Silva was announced as the next inductee in the "pioneer wing" of the UFC Hall of Fame.

8. Vitor Belfort (1977 - )

With an HPI of 41.49, Vitor Belfort is the 8th most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Vítor Vieira Belfort (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvitoʁ viˈejɾɐ bɛwˈfɔʁ]; born 1 April 1977) is a Brazilian professional boxer and retired mixed martial artist who competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions. He is the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament Champion, as well as the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Champion. Known for his explosive knockout power, Belfort is tied for fifth for the most finishes in UFC history with 14. Belfort also competed for MMA promotions Pride FC, Strikeforce, Affliction, and Cage Rage.

9. Lyoto Machida (1978 - )

With an HPI of 41.25, Lyoto Machida is the 9th most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Lyoto Carvalho Machida (町田龍太, Machida Ryōto, Portuguese pronunciation: [liˈotu maˈʃidɐ], born 30 May 1978) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and karateka. He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, as well as a UFC Middleweight Championship title challenger. He most recently competed in Bellator MMA in the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions.

10. Amanda Nunes (1988 - )

With an HPI of 39.23, Amanda Nunes is the 10th most famous Brazilian Martial Arts.  Her biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Amanda Nunes (born May 30, 1988) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. She competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the former UFC Women's Featherweight Champion and two-time UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion. She was ranked #1 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings at the time of her retirement. Widely regarded as the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time, Nunes is the first woman to become a two-division UFC champion, and the third fighter to hold UFC titles in two weight classes simultaneously, after Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier.