In addition to Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba; remember Brazilian duels for UFC titles

Anderson Silva (left) and Vitor (right) in a historic fight at UFC 126. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook

As much as the duel between Tom aspinall and Cyril Gane is the last attraction of the night, the co-main event do UFC 321 no próximo sábado (25) é especialmente importante para o público brasileiro. Após Weili Zhang vacate the strawweight title (up to 52,1 kg) to face Valentina Shevchenko, the Brazilians Mackenzie dern e Virna jandiroba measure their strength to reach the top of the division.

See too

Riding the wave of Amanda, Cyborg and Jéssica, Mackenzie and Virna fight at UFC 321 to put Brazil on top

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It's on! Virna jandiroba & Mackenzie dern just went face-to-face at the #UFC321 press conference!

In just two days, one of them will be crowned the new UFC Strawweight Champion.
Who did you get? #WMMA #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/r4tqOty6Qp

— Women's MMA Rankings (@WMMARankings) October 23, 2025

As one of the most traditional countries in the world in MMA, fans have already had a few opportunities to watch compatriots fighting for UFC belts, in duels that marked the history of the sport.

Relive UFC title fights between Brazilians

Anderson Silva x Vitor Belfort

Anderson Silva knocked out Vitor belfort at UFC 126. Photo: Reproduction / UFC

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Former training partners, Anderson Silva e Vitor belfort They starred in the most important fight in Brazilian MMA history in February 2011. Ranked first in the pound-for-pound rankings and king of the middleweight division (up to 83,9 kg), Spider needed to defend his crown against one of the most dangerous opponents of all time. Beyond the two athletes' high technical level, the compatriots also developed a fierce rivalry after the Rio native expressed his desire to fight for the title and ended up leaving the academy.

Despite the wait, the fight concluded within minutes. In the first round, Anderson hit his opponent with a powerful (and previously unheard of) front kick to the face. The blow knocked Belfort out and catapulted the sport to unprecedented levels of popularity in Brazil, transforming both men into stars.

Amanda Nunes x Cris Cyborg

Amanda nunes (left) won Chris Cyborg by knockout in December 2018. Photo: Reproduction / Facebook ufc

If the confrontation between Anderson and Vitor changed the level of sport in Brazil, the duel between Amanda nunes e Chris Cyborg perhaps the most important in the history of women's MMA. After remaining undefeated for over a decade and winning belts in every event she competed in, the Curitiba native finally had the opportunity to showcase her talent in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and reach the top of the featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg). On the other hand, the Bahia native had already faced names like Ronda Rousey e Miesha Tate and won the bantamweight title (up to 61,2 kg). The two clashed in December 2018.

Despite being the favorite, Cyborg couldn't withstand her opponent's powerful punches. In just 51 seconds, Amanda knocked her opponent down several times, knocking her out for the first time in her illustrious career, and becoming the first fighter to become a double champion.

Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia

Anderson Silva x Demian Maia. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

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Just like this Saturday's duel (25), UFC 112 marked the first trip of the biggest MMA organization in the world to Abu Dhabi, and Spider was the fighter chosen to defend the middleweight belt (up to 83,9 kg) in the main attraction of the night against Demian Maia. Despite the high expectations, the fight became one of the most controversial moments in the legendary champion's entire career.

Despite some brilliant moments early in the fight, Silva began to overindulge in provocations throughout much of the fight, avoiding attacking his opponent and infuriating Dana White. The bald man refused to buckle the belt on Anderson after the Spider won by unanimous decision and expressed shame at the fighter's behavior, threatening to fire him if similar incidents occurred again.

Lyoto Machida vs Mauricio Shogun

Lyoto Machida (left) and Mauricio Shogun (right) faced each other twice for the belt (Photo: Reproduction)

Lyoto Machida left the MMA world speechless when he crossed the light heavyweight category (up to 93 kg) and became the undefeated UFC champion, knocking out Rashad evans. However, the Dragon's first defense would have Mauritius Shogun as an opponent, who in turn was coming off victories against legends Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell. They first met in October 2009, with the Bahia native winning a controversial unanimous decision.

The rematch took place just seven months later, and this time the result was quite different. Early in the fight, Shogun landed a strong overhand, which knocked out his compatriot and made the Curitiba native the new owner of the category belt.

Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites

Anderson Silva e Thales leites faced each other at UFC 97 (Photo: Reproduction)

After beating five opponents in a row over 18 months, Thales leites had the opportunity to reach the top of the middleweight division (up to 83,9 kg) in April 2009 against the legendary Anderson Silva, who at the time already had four successful defenses and eight consecutive victories in the organization, all on the fast track. The clear favorite for the fight and the better striking force, Anderson avoided the grappling and managed to win the bout by unanimous decision in an uninspired bout.

Leites, in turn, became the first fighter to survive the 25 minutes against his compatriot. In all, only he and Demian Maia were not knocked out or finished throughout the Spider's historic reign.

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