Written by Jhonata Diniz (left) beat Alvin Hines in June | Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
The UFC has yet to officially announce its return to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a Fight Night event on Oct. 11, but multiple people have have confirmed to MMA Fighting that heavyweights Jhonata Diniz and Mario Pinto have agreed to meet on that date.
The event will mark the UFC’s first trip to Brazil since May 2024, when the pay-per-view card was headlined by Alexandre Pantoja versus Steve Erceg at Rio de Janeiro’s Farmasi Arena. It will also be the UFC’s first non-pay-per-view in the city since Demian Maia vs. Ryan LaFlare in 2015.
Diniz (9-1) recently returned to the winning column with a decision victory over Alvin Hines at UFC 317, his first match since a doctor stoppage defeat to veteran Marcin Tybura in November 2024.
The Brazilian, a Contender Series signee, currently holds a 3-1 record in the company with a debut knockout against Austen Lane, which was followed by a decision over Karl Williams.
Portugal’s Pinto (10-0) also scored a knockout over Lane in his first octagon appearance, a second-round finish five months after a contract-winning knockout against Lucas Camacho at Dana White’s Contender Series.