Gabriel Gonzaga

1.1. Childhood and education

Born on May 18, 1979, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Gabriel Gonzaga grew up in a financially comfortable household; his father was a veterinarian and his mother was a lawyer. This background provided him with a stable environment during his formative years.

1.2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling

Gonzaga began his martial arts training in judo at the age of 14. Shortly thereafter, he transitioned to Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) under the tutelage of Wander Braga, a renowned BJJ instructor. He quickly excelled in the sport, winning a Brazilian Championship title at just 15 years old. Over the years, Gonzaga achieved numerous accolades in BJJ and submission grappling. He currently holds a 5th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Wander Braga.

His notable accomplishments include:

• IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship:
  • Gold Medalist: 2006 (Black Belt, +100 kg division)
  • Bronze Medalist: 2002 (Black Belt, Absolute division)
  • Bronze Medalist: 2000 (Black Belt, Super Heavyweight division)
  • Bronze Medalist: 1999 (Brown Belt, Super Heavyweight division)
• ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship:
  • Silver Medalist: 2005 (+99 kg division, Long Beach, CA)
  • Gold Medalist: 2004 (ADCC South American Championship, -88 kg division, Campos, Brazil)
• CBJJO World Jiu-Jitsu Cup:
  • Champion: 2006 (Black Belt, +100 kg Super Heavyweight division)
  • Runner-Up: 2005 (Black Belt, +100 kg Super Heavyweight division)
  • 3rd Place: 2005 (Black Belt, Absolute division)
  • Runner-Up: 2003 (Black Belt, +100 kg Super Heavyweight division)
  • Runner-Up: 2003 (Black Belt, Absolute division)
• Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship:
  • 3rd Place: 1999 (-100.5 kg division)
  • Champion: 1996/1997 (Purple Belt)
• World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship:
  • Champion: 2019 (Black Belt, Super Heavyweight division)

2.1. Early career

Gonzaga made his professional mixed martial arts debut on April 2, 2003, in São Paulo, Brazil, at Brazilian Gladiators 2. He won his debut fight against Cicero Costa by submission due to punches in the first round. He quickly compiled an early professional record of 4 wins and 1 loss before joining the UFC. His sole loss during this period was a TKO defeat to future UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabrício Werdum at Jungle Fight 1 on September 13, 2003.

2.2. Ultimate Fighting Championship (2005-2010)

Gonzaga made his UFC debut at UFC 56 on November 19, 2005, facing Kevin Jordan. He secured a knockout victory at 4:39 of the third round with a superman punch. This fight took place under challenging personal circumstances, as his pregnant wife experienced complications, leading to the loss of one of their twins, which significantly impacted his training.

He returned to the Octagon at UFC 60 on May 27, 2006, where he defeated Fabiano Scherner via TKO in the second round. At UFC 66 on December 30, 2006, he submitted Carmelo Marrero with an armbar in the first round.

Gonzaga's most iconic moment in the UFC came at UFC 70 on April 21, 2007, when he faced legendary striker Mirko Cro Cop. In a stunning upset, Gonzaga knocked out Cro Cop with a powerful head kick, a move famously associated with Cro Cop himself. This victory earned Gonzaga the "Knockout of the Night" bonus and was widely recognized as the "Knockout of the Year" for 2007 by UFC.com and other publications. The win also positioned him for a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

On August 25, 2007, at UFC 74, Gonzaga challenged UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture for the title. Despite breaking Couture's arm with a high kick early in the fight, Gonzaga ultimately lost via TKO due to punches from the mount position at 1:37 of the third round. This bout earned both fighters "Fight of the Night" honors.

Gonzaga rematched Fabricio Werdum at UFC 80 on January 19, 2008, but suffered another TKO loss in the second round. He then secured two consecutive wins: a first-round submission (americana) over Justin McCully at UFC 86 on July 5, 2008, and a first-round knockout of Josh Hendricks at UFC 91 on November 15, 2008.

At UFC 96 on March 7, 2009, Gonzaga faced undefeated prospect Shane Carwin. In the opening 30 seconds, Gonzaga landed an uppercut and two left hooks, breaking Carwin's nose, and briefly took the fight to the ground. However, Carwin quickly recovered and landed an overhand right that knocked Gonzaga out at 1:09 of the first round.

On August 29, 2009, at UFC 102, Gonzaga defeated Chris Tuchscherer via TKO in the first round. The fight included a controversial moment where Gonzaga landed an illegal low blow that badly hurt Tuchscherer. Although Tuchscherer was given a five-minute recovery period and continued, Gonzaga maintained dominance and finished the fight with strikes.

Gonzaga was initially scheduled to fight Junior dos Santos at UFC 108, but withdrew due to a staph infection. The fight eventually took place on March 21, 2010, at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones, where Gonzaga lost to dos Santos via first-round knockout. His final fight in this UFC stint was against Brendan Schaub at UFC 121 on October 23, 2010. Gonzaga lost by unanimous decision, marking the first time in his professional career that a fight went the distance. Following two consecutive losses, Gonzaga was released from the UFC.

2.3. Post-UFC Career (2010-2011)

After his initial release from the UFC, Gabriel Gonzaga expressed an interest in returning to mixed martial arts after having considered focusing solely on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He made his return to MMA on October 8, 2011, facing Reality Fighting Heavyweight Champion Parker Porter at Reality Fighting: Gonzaga vs. Porter. Gonzaga submitted Porter with an arm-triangle choke in the third round, thereby winning the Reality Fighting Heavyweight Championship.

2.4. Return to Ultimate Fighting Championship (2012-2016)

On December 16, 2011, it was announced that Gonzaga had signed a new four-fight contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. His return bout was against Ednaldo Oliveira at UFC 142 on January 14, 2012, where he secured a first-round submission victory via rear-naked choke.

Gonzaga was scheduled for several fights that ultimately did not materialize due to various reasons. He was set to face Shane del Rosario at UFC 146 but was pulled to replace Antônio Silva against Roy Nelson; however, Gonzaga himself later withdrew from the Nelson bout due to injury. He was also slated to face Geronimo dos Santos at UFC 153, but the opponent pulled out, leading to Gonzaga's removal from the card.

On January 19, 2013, Gonzaga faced Ben Rothwell at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping, winning via submission (guillotine choke) in the second round. His next fight at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale on April 13, 2013, against Travis Browne ended in a first-round knockout loss. This outcome was controversial, as replays suggested that several of Browne's finishing elbow strikes may have landed on the back of Gonzaga's head, which is illegal. Gonzaga's team appealed the decision to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, but the appeal was denied, and the ruling stood.

Gonzaga continued his second UFC stint, facing Dave Herman at UFC 162 on July 6, 2013. He won the fight by KO just 17 seconds into the first round with a right hook that countered Herman's low kick, followed by ground and pound. His knockout streak continued at UFC 166 on October 19, 2013, where he defeated Shawn Jordan by KO at 1:13 of the first round, marking his second consecutive first-round knockout.

On January 25, 2014, Gonzaga faced then-ranked heavyweight Stipe Miocic at UFC on Fox 10. He lost the fight via unanimous decision, stating post-fight that he broke his hand in the first round. He then lost to Matt Mitrione via TKO in the first round at UFC on Fox 13 on December 13, 2014.

A highly anticipated rematch with Mirko Cro Cop took place at UFC Fight Night 64 on April 11, 2015. Gonzaga dominated the first two rounds, but Cro Cop mounted a surprising comeback in the third round, finishing Gonzaga via TKO with a flurry of elbows and punches. Gonzaga later admitted he was not prepared for five rounds and was surprised by Cro Cop's strength and improved elbow technique. This bout earned both fighters "Fight of the Night" bonus honors.

Gonzaga secured a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, and 30-28) over Konstantin Erokhin at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale on December 11, 2015. His final UFC fight was against Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos on April 10, 2016, where he lost by KO in the first round.

2.5. Later career and retirement

On September 30, 2016, Gabriel Gonzaga announced his retirement from mixed martial arts unless the UFC offered him a six-figure contract. Despite this, he did have one more professional MMA fight. On May 5, 2018, he faced Alexander Emelianenko at RCC: Russian Cagefighting Championship 2, losing via TKO from punches and knees in the second round. This marked his last professional mixed martial arts bout.

3.1. Professional boxing

On October 26, 2017, Gabriel Gonzaga made his professional boxing debut under the Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE) banner. He faced Alejandro Esquilin Santiago in a four-round bout held in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Gonzaga won the fight via majority decision, securing his first professional boxing victory.

3.2. Bare-knuckle boxing

Gonzaga ventured into bare-knuckle boxing, making his promotional debut as the headliner for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) 8. On August 28, 2019, it was announced that he would face fellow UFC veteran Antônio Silva. The bout took place on October 19, 2019, at BKFC 8 in Tampa, Florida, United States. Gonzaga secured a knockout victory over Silva in the second round.

5.1. Mixed Martial Arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Knockout of the Night (One time)
  • Fight of the Night (Two times)
  • Tied for third most finishes in UFC Heavyweight history (11) with Andrei Arlovski, Stefan Struve, and Francis Ngannou.
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2007 Knockout of the Year (vs. Mirko Cro Cop)
    • Ranked #3 Upset of the Year (vs. Mirko Cro Cop)
• FIGHT! Magazine
  • 2007 Knockout of the Year (vs. Mirko Cro Cop)
• Fight Matrix
  • Most Lopsided Upset of the Year (2007)
• Inside Fights
  • 2007 Knockout of the Year (vs. Mirko Cro Cop)
• Reality Fighting
  • Reality Fighting Heavyweight Championship (One time)

5.2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling

• International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF)
  • 2019 World Master Jiu-Jitsu Championship Super Heavyweight Champion (Black Belt)
  • 2006 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship Heavyweight Champion (Black Belt, +100 kg)
  • 2002 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship Absolute 3rd Place (Black Belt)
  • 2000 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship Super Heavyweight 3rd Place (Black Belt)
  • 1999 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship Super Heavyweight 3rd Place (Brown Belt)
• Confederação Brasileira de Jiu Jitsu Olímpico (CBJJO)
  • 2006 CBJJO World Cup Super Heavyweight Champion (Black Belt, +100 kg)
  • 2005 CBJJO World Cup Super Heavyweight Runner-Up (Black Belt, +100 kg)
  • 2005 CBJJO World Cup Absolute 3rd Place (Black Belt)
  • 2003 CBJJO World Cup Super Heavyweight Runner-Up (Black Belt, +100 kg)
  • 2003 CBJJO World Cup Absolute Runner-Up (Black Belt)
• Confederação Brasileira de Jiu Jitsu (CBJJ)
  • 1999 Brazilian National Championship 3rd Place (-100.5 kg)
  • 1996/1997 Brazilian National Championship Champion (Purple Belt)
• ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
  • 2005 ADCC +99 kg Runner-Up
  • 2004 ADCC South American Championship -88 kg Champion

7.1. Mixed martial arts record

7.2. Professional boxing record

7.3. Bare-knuckle boxing record