The sad decline of Brazilians from the upper echelons of MMA

[TheMaster]

Anyone noticed how they have kind of faded from the upper echelons of the sport over the last decade and half?
Back in the day Brazilians ruled the roost, now we scarcely see a top fighter or Brazilian champion. I think because their weakness was always wrestling and now that everyone else has taken their submission skillset they have been left by the wayside.

 

[Goutfather]

brazil did okay in ufc

 

[Prick_Flair]

We still got Poatan and he's equal to like, a thousand guys

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

Juices and excuses..

 

[MEAN357]

USADA did a fuckin number on Brazilian MMA

 

[Odoylerules22]

Seems like the eastern euros are today what the brazilians were 15 years ago.

Poatan is legit though and pantoja, Du Brox, and Devieson are all former champs still at a high level.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

USADA did a fuckin number on Brazilian MMA

 

[Doctor Grudge]

No country has more male champs than Brazil does right now, lol.

Also, there have been like...10 championships won in the 2020s. Glover, Nunes x2, Figueiredo x2, Pantoja, Peireira x2, Oliveira - that's more than any country other than USA, which is where the UFC is based so obviously USA has the most.


Brazil still produces elite fighters. I mean...if you're asking why cards aren't filled with Brazilians like it was 20 years ago, it's because more people from different countries practice MMA.

Has nothing to do with Brazil declining.

 

[MAlexander22]

It happens. There will always be ebs and flows in sports, especially combat sports. Countries that never had an MMA scene before are now getting one, and the ones that had an MMA scene, but didn't have a particularly great one, are now thriving more and more with the growing popularity of the sport.

I can speak on behalf of the UK/England scene, but 10 years ago mma wasn't that popular. Fast forward to 2024, more and more people know about it, and more young people are trying it out than ever before. I think that is largely due to Conor McGregor's influence in the UK and Ireland too.

There are also the ascension of UK fighters to champ status and the elite level, so it garners more interest all round, including via sports media too, which would have only ever focused on boxing, football, cricket, etc.

 

[TITS]

We still got Poatan and he's equal to like, a thousand guys

and Long Jean Silver. He might be champ material already.

 

[Prick_Flair]

and Long Jean Silver. He might be champ material already.

Excellent thought. I was just fucking around but if I was being serious absolutely I would give him a nod. Love that guy

 

[Urluberluu]

Brazlians are still here , there is so many good brasilians fighters on the rise

Jean Silva , Brener , Petrino , Caiho Boralo , Michel Peireira , Bruno Hulk Feireira ....

 

[Ludwig von Mises]

Brazil has more champions today than America does. Also the way they dominated the sport 10-15 years ago was unsustainable as MMA grows and more countries get involved. Brazil used to be the cheap labor but then guys like Anderson started making serious money and many of them moved their camps to the US. Now Dagestan and Russia are the cheap labor the way Brazil was in those days and thus there is less Brazillian dominance than there once was.

 

[ExitLUPin]

Why are people still peddling this false narrative?

USA and Brazil will always be at the top along with Russia who emerged in recent times. Those 3 aren't going anywhere.

You same people were saying Brazil is done a few years ago and USADA got them when there were no male Brazilian champs.... Then months later Deiveson, Alex, Charles, Glover, Nunes were all champs at the same time. Ebbs and flows.

They have a bunch of top 20 level guys in every division

HW - Jailton, Marcos, Ferreira
LHW - Alex, Petrino, Johny
MW - Costa, Gregory, Borralho, Michel, Bruno, Rodolfo
WW - Burns, Elizeu, Miranda, Luque, rising prospects like Bonfim and Prates
LW - Charles, Moicano, CDF, Gustavo, Satoshi, other Bonfim, Brener
FW - Diego, Brito, Jean, Lima, Higo, Costa
BW - Deiveson, Pedro, Lok Dog, Mikinho, Barcelos
FLW - Pantoja, Felipe, Jafel, Nicolau, Bruno, Estevan

America is the only other country who laps Brazil in talent and prospects throughout all divisions. And that was always the case. But Brazil is still easily 2nd with Russia rising fast. No one else is close.

 

[wildbulls]

It'll be more accurate to ask why there isn't more Japanese mma fighters when they have Kickxboing, Judo & Karate as the birthplaces of those martial arts. They do well in Boxing but it's weird that they have no interest in MMA.

 

[chinarice]

USADA did a fuckin number on Brazilian MMA

Only if Brazil has USADA in their pocket like Russia.

RUSADA bless those Russians

 

[Hdfi]

Anyone noticed how they have kind of faded from the upper echelons of the sport over the last decade and half?
Back in the day Brazilians ruled the roost, now we scarcely see a top fighter or Brazilian champion. I think because their weakness was always wrestling and now that everyone else has taken their submission skillset they have been left by the wayside.

Which country currently has the most champions?

 

[Koala]

They're back

 

[Hog-train]

Brazil is still top tier. It's just other countries caught up.

 

[Dobymick]

This is a false notion and already disproven many times including in this thread twice

The end