What If José "Pelé" Landi-Jons Had Fought in the UFC?

[savemgs]

Hey everyone,

I've been thinking—what if José "Pelé" Landi-Jons had made it to the UFC in the early 2000s? For those unfamiliar, Pelé was a dynamic striker who fought in the no-weight-class era, taking on elite competition. But how would he have fared in the UFC’s welterweight division during its golden years?

Whenever Pelé faced opponents closer to his natural size, he performed at an elite level. His aggressive Muay Thai and experience against world-class talent could have made him a real threat in the Octagon.

Notable Wins:​

• Jorge "Macaco" Patino – A longtime rival and respected Brazilian fighter.
• Matt Hughes – Two-time UFC Welterweight Champion, one of the division’s all-time greats.
• Pat Miletich – The first UFC Welterweight Champion and a legendary coach.
• Alexander Shlemenko – Former Bellator Middleweight Champion, known for his unorthodox striking.
• Dave Menne – The inaugural UFC Middleweight Champion.
• Evangelista Santos – PRIDE and Strikeforce veteran, known for his aggressive style.

Notable Losses:​

• Chuck Liddell – Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and one of the sport’s biggest stars.
• Daijiro Matsui – A PRIDE veteran who faced top-tier competition.
• Carlos Newton – Former UFC Welterweight Champion, known for his creative grappling.
• Lee Murray – A dangerous striker best remembered for his fight with Anderson Silva.

Did Pelé Deserve a UFC Shot?​

Absolutely. He didn’t just compete against UFC champions—he beat both Matt Hughes and Pat Miletich, two of the most respected welterweights in history. Fighters with far less impressive records got UFC opportunities, so why not him? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Fun fact he was the founder Sherdog Jeff Sherwood's favorite fighter as well.

 

[HHJ]

Guy just came off like a complete jerk off and never won any of his fights in PRIDEFC.

 

[Bork Neslar]

We'll never know. It doesn't matter at this point.

 

[BenjaminDuffy]

Forgive me for hawking my own wares, but this question appealed to me enough to write about it.

It's obviously impossible to say for sure, but in my opinion he was probably the best welterweight-ish fighter on the planet for several years—say, 1997 to 2001. The question is whether he would have been able to prove it, or make a better case for it, in the UFC.

I think at best, he would have cleaned house. He wrecked Miletich in his prime and Hughes very close to his prime, and gave Newton a hell of a fight before succumbing. If he did those things in the Octagon, we probably think of him as the greatest welterweight of the pre-TUF era and one of the three best ever.

At worst—say he never really adjusted to the cage or the Unified Rules—I stilll think he would have hung around the Top 10 for several years and be thought of as one of the best welterweights of his era and a pioneer of the modern division. In other words, how most people who were around at the time think of him already.

 

[gosuasus]

Pele was like if Israel Adesanya was actually a good fighter.

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Guy's last fight was in 2022 while his first was in 1993, been banging my entire life.

Forgive me for hawking my own wares, but this question appealed to me enough to write about it.

It's obviously impossible to say for sure, but in my opinion he was probably the best welterweight-ish fighter on the planet for several years—say, 1997 to 2001. The question is whether he would have been able to prove it, or make a better case for it, in the UFC.

I think at best, he would have cleaned house. He wrecked Miletich in his prime and Hughes very close to his prime, and gave Newton a hell of a fight before succumbing. If he did those things in the Octagon, we probably think of him as the greatest welterweight of the pre-TUF era and one of the three best ever.

At worst—say he never really adjusted to the cage or the Unified Rules—I stilll think he would have hung around the Top 10 for several years and be thought of as one of the best welterweights of his era and a pioneer of the modern division. In other words, how most people who were around at the time think of him already.

Tough to really write something out better than this with an attached article, I think that's about as good an answer as you'll ever get OP

 

[Hank Grill]

Chuck Liddell's Chin would have been gone faster since he wouldn't be able to eat a headkick like back when they fought in Brazil.

 

[HHJ]

Pele was like if Israel Adesanya was actually a good fighter.

Pretty sure Izzy could beat Daijiro Matsui

 

[BowserJr]

He would've been a much needed addition to UFC WW division.

As you mentioned he KOed Hughes near his prime. He likely does it again.

Hughes was a bit boring so having someone like Pele as a contrast and counter would've made the division more exciting and interesting.

 

[DrRodentia]

If he fought Chuck in the UFC, there would have been less groin stomps, for sure.

 

[Siver!]

Pretty sure Izzy could beat Daijiro Matsui

You say that, but Rampage couldn't

 

[HHJ]

You say that, but Rampage couldn't

 

[savemgs]

Forgive me for hawking my own wares, but this question appealed to me enough to write about it.

It's obviously impossible to say for sure, but in my opinion he was probably the best welterweight-ish fighter on the planet for several years—say, 1997 to 2001. The question is whether he would have been able to prove it, or make a better case for it, in the UFC.

I think at best, he would have cleaned house. He wrecked Miletich in his prime and Hughes very close to his prime, and gave Newton a hell of a fight before succumbing. If he did those things in the Octagon, we probably think of him as the greatest welterweight of the pre-TUF era and one of the three best ever.

At worst—say he never really adjusted to the cage or the Unified Rules—I stilll think he would have hung around the Top 10 for several years and be thought of as one of the best welterweights of his era and a pioneer of the modern division. In other words, how most people who were around at the time think of him already.

I actually remember reading your article. I completely agree with your take—if he had done what he did to Miletich and Hughes inside the UFC, he’d be in the GOAT welterweight conversation without question. He was ahead of his time with his striking, and his aggression made him a nightmare matchup for a lot of guys.

 

[savemgs]

Siver just threw some heat at you dude. Yeah, Matsui was always an odd case—"inconsistent" is probably as good a word as any, but even that doesn’t quite capture it. He had a weird mix of durability, unpredictability, and just enough skill to make fights competitive, even when he was completely outgunned. Also, yeah, that "win" over Rampage was sketchy, but hey, it's on the record.

Going the distance with Newton, Wanderlei, Belfort, and Kondo is wild when you think about it. Newton could grapple the life out of people, Wanderlei and Belfort were absolute destroyers, and Kondo was one of the more well-rounded guys of that era. Yet, somehow, Matsui just hung in there.

 

[savemgs]

He would've been a much needed addition to UFC WW division.

As you mentioned he KOed Hughes near his prime. He likely does it again.

Hughes was a bit boring so having someone like Pele as a contrast and counter would've made the division more exciting and interesting.

Yeah, Pelé would have been a huge boost to the UFC’s welterweight division back then. His aggressive, all-action style was the perfect contrast to the more grinding, wrestling-heavy approach of guys like Hughes.

That being said, I never thought Hughes was boring, but I get why his style wasn’t for everyone. He was methodical and dominant, but not always the most thrilling to watch—especially compared to someone as wild as Pelé.

 

[Stagliano]

Is he the guy who knocked out Anderson Silva in sparring ?

 

[Elvis.]

Pele did not beat Lee Murray, but Pele at one point was probably the most terrifying guy in the sport
After loosing to him by ko Hughes would be the ufc champion later that year and go on his incredible run

 

[HHJ]

Siver just threw some heat at you dude. Yeah, Matsui was always an odd case—"inconsistent" is probably as good a word as any, but even that doesn’t quite capture it. He had a weird mix of durability, unpredictability, and just enough skill to make fights competitive, even when he was completely outgunned. Also, yeah, that "win" over Rampage was sketchy, but hey, it's on the record.

Going the distance with Newton, Wanderlei, Belfort, and Kondo is wild when you think about it. Newton could grapple the life out of people, Wanderlei and Belfort were absolute destroyers, and Kondo was one of the more well-rounded guys of that era. Yet, somehow, Matsui just hung in there.

Most of the time you would see blood in the Pride ring its cos Matsui took a beating earlier on the card.

 

[HHJ]

Yeah, Pelé would have been a huge boost to the UFC’s welterweight division back then. His aggressive, all-action style was the perfect contrast to the more grinding, wrestling-heavy approach of guys like Hughes.

That being said, I never thought Hughes was boring, but I get why his style wasn’t for everyone. He was methodical and dominant, but not always the most thrilling to watch—especially compared to someone as wild as Pelé.

I was a big fan of Hughes then. He was super dominant, he carried himself in a calm confident way, that must have unnerved his opponents.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

He would have been a great addition to UFC for sure, he was exciting to watch and very accurate, he was fearless and violent like all the old chute boxe guys. I don't think if he would have been UFC champ though because he was a bit inconsistent, but still he would have been fun to see in UFC and would have been involved in JBG fights.