Bio

Junior dos Santos Almeida (born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He has victories over 5 UFC Heavyweight Champions: Fabrício Werdum, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, and Stipe Miocic. As of June 2, he is #5 in the UFC heavyweight rankings. Dos Santos turned professional in 2006 at the age of 22. He fought in small promotions in Brazil such as Demo Fight, Extreme Fighting Championship, Minotauro Fights and Mo Team League. He won six of his first seven bouts, suffering his only loss to Joaquim Ferreira, a fighter he had previously beaten. Dos Santos debuted for the UFC on 25 October 2008 at UFC 90. Considered a major underdog, he knocked out top contender Fabrício Werdum at a minute and twenty seconds of the first round with a strong uppercut, earning himself a "Knockout of the Year" award.