BJJ wizard Renato Canuto is making waves in the MMA world with his soccer kick knockouts. After winning the IBJJF world championship, Canuto has gone 2-0 in the cage with back-to-back soccer kick knockouts. His goal is clear: keep adding finishes to his resume and evolve enough to earn a shot in the UFC in 2026. Canuto's recent knockout of Caleb Contreras at Tuff-N-Uff 149 was another sub-minute victory in Las Vegas. He plans to compete at the upcoming UFC BJJ 4 card in December, where his wife Raquel Canuto will battle for the inaugural UFC BJJ featherweight belt. He's not planning on wasting any time after that, eyeing a MMA bout for January and eventually rematching Andrew Tackett for the UFC BJJ belt. If all goes according to his plans, Canuto will be the UFC BJJ champion and 4-0 in MMA by mid-2026, either signed to the UFC or set to compete at Dana White’s Contender Series. Canuto decided to make the transition to MMA by the end of 2021 after winning the IBJJF world championship. He believes that being a star at UFC BJJ could help lead to the UFC as a mixed martial artist. Canuto inked a six-fight deal with ONE Championship in 2021, but lost his first match in Asia. He eventually parted ways with ONE and signed a deal with Tuff N Uff to make his MMA debut in 2025. Canuto may have lost many years stuck on a deal with ONE, but feels more prepared for the sport after countless hours in the gym. He is coached by Matheus Naccache and has trained with a number of UFC fighters. Canuto is confident that he can fight the best, but is in no hurry to join the UFC. He plans to take it easy, stay calm, and let things happen naturally.
