Rani Yahya
Brasília's Rani Yahya built his jiu-jitsu for MMA, won ADCC gold in 2007 and took 21 submission wins in a pro career spanning Japan, the WEC and the UFC.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Sherdog, fighter profile "Rani Yahya", fight history(opens in a new tab)
On December 31, 2007, at K-1 Premium 2007 Dynamite!!, he lost to Norifumi Yamamoto by TKO in the second round.
Where in the source: Fight history - pro: K-1 - Premium 2007 Dynamite!!, Dec / 31 / 2007
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He was born on September 12, 1984, and is listed from Brasília, Federal District, Brazil.
Where in the source: Fighter header — "SEP 12, 1984"; location line Brasilia, Federal District
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His professional MMA record stands at 28 wins, 12 losses, 1 draw and 1 no contest; 21 of the wins came by submission and 7 by decision, and he has no knockout wins.
Where in the source: Record summary boxes: Wins, Losses, Draws, N/C
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His professional MMA debut was on September 14, 2002, at Kallifas Vale Tudo, where he beat Junior Peba with an arm-triangle choke in the first round.
Where in the source: Fight history - pro, last row: KVT - Kallifas Vale Tudo, Sep / 14 / 2002
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On April 17, 2004, at TNT Vale Tudo 2, he won three fights by submission on the same card: a Peruvian necktie against Fabio Alves, an armbar against Muzila Ferraz and a keylock against Luciano Santos.
Where in the source: Fight history - pro, three rows dated Apr / 17 / 2004, event TNT - Vale Tudo 2
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In the WEC he submitted Yoshiro Maeda with a guillotine choke (November 2008), Eddie Wineland with a rear-naked choke (April 2009) and John Hosman with a north-south choke (August 2009), all in the first round, then lost to Joseph Benavidez by TKO (December 2009) and Takeya Mizugaki by decision (April 2010).
Where in the source: Fight history - pro, rows WEC 36, WEC 40, WEC 42, WEC 45 and WEC 48
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In the UFC from 2012 to 2016 he submitted Josh Grispi (north-south choke, 2012), beat Mizuto Hirota and Josh Clopton on points (2013), lost a split decision to Tom Niinimäki (2013), beat Masanori Kanehara by split decision (2015), submitted Matthew Lopez with an arm-triangle choke in the third round (2016) and outpointed Michinori Tanaka (2016).
Where in the source: Fight history - pro, rows UFC on Fox 4 through UFC Fight Night 95
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After moving to American Top Team he submitted Enrique Briones with a kimura (August 2017), Russell Doane with an arm-triangle choke (February 2018) and Luke Sanders with a heel hook in 1:31 (August 2018); he then lost a decision to Ricky Simon (2019), drew with Enrique Barzola (2020), submitted Ray Rodriguez with an arm-triangle choke (March 2021) and beat Kang Kyung-ho on points (November 2021).
Where in the source: Fight history - pro, rows UFC Fight Night 114 through UFC Fight Night 198
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His two most recent fights were losses: to Montel Jackson by knockout in April 2023 and to Victor Henry by TKO in the third round in April 2024.
Where in the source: Fight history - pro, first two rows (UFC Fight Night 222; UFC on ESPN 55)
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IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 1999, official results(opens in a new tab)
At the 1999 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship he won the juvenile blue belt rooster division, listed with the team Ataide Jr.
Where in the source: Athletes results by category, division JUVENILE / BLUE / MALE / ROOSTER, place 1 (name printed as "Ranyyahya")
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IBJJF, Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 1999, official results(opens in a new tab)
At the 1999 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship he won the juvenile blue belt rooster division, listed with the team Ataide Jr.
Where in the source: Athletes results by category, division JUVENILE / BLUE / MALE / ROOSTER, place 1 (name printed as "Rany Yahia")
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IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2002, official results(opens in a new tab)
He won the adult purple belt light featherweight division at the 2002 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, representing Athaide Jr.
Where in the source: Athletes results by category, division ADULT / PURPLE / MALE / LIGHT FEATHER, place 1
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IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2003, official results(opens in a new tab)
He won the adult brown belt featherweight division at the 2003 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, representing Athaide Junior; Augusto Lopes Mendes placed second.
Where in the source: Athletes results by category, division ADULT / BROWN / MALE / FEATHER, place 1
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Kian Rogers, JitsMagazine, "ADCC Champion And UFC Veteran Rani Yahya Promoted To Fifth Degree BJJ Black Belt", March 24, 2023(opens in a new tab)
In March 2023 he was promoted to the fifth degree of his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, which he had then held for 19 years.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph, article of March 24, 2023 — "promoted to fifth degree"
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He holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: Headline and opening paragraph — "BJJ Black Belt"
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At the ADCC World Championships he reached the quarter-finals in 2003, took silver in 2005 and won gold in the 66 kg division in 2007, while building an 11-2 professional MMA record over five years before joining the WEC.
Where in the source: Second paragraph, on his ADCC appearances and early MMA record — "took home the gold medal"
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Brian Knapp, Sherdog, "5 Things You Might Not Know About Rani Yahya", March 12, 2021(opens in a new tab)
He won gold at the 2007 ADCC World Championships at 66 kg by beating Leo Vieira, the two-time defending champion, in the final, after a silver medal in 2005 and a quarter-final in 2003.
Where in the source: First of the five items, on his ADCC record — "two-time defending champion"
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By March 2021 his submission wins included four arm-triangle chokes, three north-south chokes, two kimuras, two rear-naked chokes and two guillotines, plus a heel hook, a brabo choke, an Ezekiel choke, a triangle, a keylock, an armbar and a Peruvian necktie; he had never lost more than two fights in a row.
Where in the source: Items two and three of the five — "methods of choice"
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As of March 2021 he ranked first among UFC bantamweights in submission attempts and second in submission wins.
Where in the source: Fifth item, UFC bantamweight all-time lists — "ranks first"
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Mark Raymundo, Sherdog, "By The Numbers: Rani Yahya", August 23, 2018(opens in a new tab)
Sherdog lists Leo Vieira, Baret Yoshida and Jeff Glover among the high-level jiu-jitsu players he has beaten.
Where in the source: Item on his ADCC gold medal, last sentence — "Leo Vieira, Baret Yoshida and Jeff Glover"
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His first four professional fights all ended in submission wins in Goiânia, Brazil, and the last three of them won him the TNT Vale Tudo 2 tournament.
Where in the source: Item counting the submission wins that opened his pro career (item beginning with 4)
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In the 2006 K-1 Hero's lightweight grand prix he beat Ryuki Ueyama and Kazuya Yasuhiro before losing to Gesias Cavalcante in the semi-finals.
Where in the source: Item on his 2006 K-1 Hero's lightweight grand prix wins (item beginning with 2)
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The WEC signed him in 2007 after he submitted Louie Moreno in 23 seconds at a Palace Fighting Championship event; he then submitted Mark Hominick with a rear-naked choke in 79 seconds in his WEC debut.
Where in the source: Items on his WEC fight count (7) and on the Hominick fight (1)
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In only his second WEC appearance he fought Chase Beebe for the WEC bantamweight title and lost a unanimous decision after five rounds.
Where in the source: Item on the rounds fought against Chase Beebe (item beginning with 5)
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He won Submission of the Night in three consecutive WEC appearances, against Yoshiro Maeda, Eddie Wineland and John Hosman.
Where in the source: Item on WEC post-fight awards (item beginning with 3)
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Martins Denis, Sherdog, "Yahya on Yamamoto", January 16, 2008(opens in a new tab)
Asked in January 2008 why a featherweight fight with Urijah Faber had not happened after his win over Hominick, he said the WEC had first offered him the bantamweight title fight.
Where in the source: Interview by Martins Denis, question on Hominick and Faber — "offered me the 135-pound title match"
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Before the Yamamoto fight he had trained boxing and Muay Thai, including with Muay Thai instructor Rodrigo Aguiar; he said he had relied on his jiu-jitsu in earlier fights and wanted to surprise Yamamoto on the feet, and that trading combinations with a counter-puncher was the mistake he would correct.
Where in the source: Interview answers on stand-up training and on what he would change — "Rodrigo Aguiar"
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Martins Denis, UFC.com, "Rani Yahya - One Dimensional No Longer", July 30, 2011(opens in a new tab)
Before the UFC he moved between weight classes: lightweight grand prix tournaments in Brazil and Japan, featherweight on joining the WEC, bantamweight for a 2007 title chance, and back to featherweight for his January 2011 UFC debut against former WEC champion Mike Thomas Brown, whom he beat on points.
Where in the source: Paragraph on his transitions through three weight classes — "a long and crazy trip"
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Looking back in 2011 on his WEC defeats, he said he had lacked the experience to win them and treated them as lessons; early on he had fought with only one plan and was lost when it failed, and he now trained striking more than submissions.
Where in the source: Quotes on the WEC stint and on plans A, B, C — "fought with only one plan"
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UFC.com described him as a Constrictor Team product whose ground game was taught by professor Ataide Junior, and whose aim from the start of his career was to finish opponents with joint locks or chokes once the fight hit the mat.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph — "taught to him by professor Ataide Junior"
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Carlos Eduardo Ozório, UFC.com (Portuguese), "Rani quer mostrar serviço em confronto de estilos", February 27, 2013(opens in a new tab)
In 2013 UFC.com reported that his coach Ataide Jr had been with him since the start of his career and that he prepared at Constrictor Team in Brasília, which he called his home; he had also sharpened his striking at a seminar with K-1 great Ernesto Hoost and with boxing coach Gabriel de Oliveira.
Where in the source: Portuguese article, paragraphs on preparation — "a minha casa"
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Before his March 2013 fight with Mizuto Hirota at Saitama he had fought six times in Japan, winning four, in K-1 Hero's, GCM and MARS, and he called Japan the true mecca of martial arts.
Where in the source: Portuguese article, second and third paragraphs — "a verdadeira meca das artes marciais"
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Jordan Newmark, UFC.com, "Yahya Forcing Taps Any Way He Can", July 15, 2015(opens in a new tab)
His first UFC bantamweight fight, against Johnny Bedford in April 2014, ended as a no contest after an accidental headbutt; in the rematch in his hometown Brasília in September 2014 he won with a kimura in the second round, and Bedford, with his free arm trapped, had to signal the tap by stomping his foot.
Where in the source: Opening paragraphs and fight description — "tapping by stomping his foot"
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He said he had wanted to fight MMA since he was a young boy and therefore shaped his jiu-jitsu for MMA rather than to become a great jiu-jitsu competitor: jiu-jitsu that works in MMA closes the distance, takes the fight to the floor, works from dominant positions and then submits.
Where in the source: Quote beginning "Since I was a young kid" — "closes the distance"
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In 2015 he was described as the standard-bearer of Constrictor Team in Brasília, trained in jiu-jitsu by head coach Ataide Junior, in boxing by Gabriel de Oliveira and in Muay Thai by Rodrigo Aguiar; he said the team took constrictor snakes as an inspiration for using jiu-jitsu in MMA.
Where in the source: Closing paragraphs on Constrictor Team — "constrictor snakes"
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Ali Khaled, The National, "Brazilian UFC fighter Rani Yahya says MMA and jiu-jitsu has bright future in UAE", October 30, 2015(opens in a new tab)
In October 2015 he taught a two-day jiu-jitsu seminar at the Fit Republik gym in Dubai.
Where in the source: Opening paragraphs, on the two-day workshop at Fit Republik in Dubai
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Fernanda Prates, MMAjunkie (USA TODAY Sports), "After years of laying low, a rebranded Rani Yahya is ready to make the most of the limelight", August 11, 2016(opens in a new tab)
As a child he did judo, karate and taekwondo, started jiu-jitsu at 11, and after his first competition knew he wanted to be a fighter; his early dream was to represent jiu-jitsu in vale tudo.
Where in the source: Section on his teenage years and start in combat sports — "At 11, I started jiu-jitsu"
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By 2016 he had decided that letting his skills do the talking was not enough: with a team now handling his image, he began asking for fights on the microphone, and after beating Matthew Lopez he asked for and got a second fight in Brasília.
Where in the source: Opening paragraphs on the rebrand — "sloppy about my image"
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Asked whether he ever thought of doing something else, he said the question crosses his mind on fight days, but that he loves being on the mat, training and teaching, and considers it his calling.
Where in the source: Same section, his answer on doing something else — "it's my calling"
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Redação Graciemag, "Feras do Jiu-Jitsu, Yahya e Moicano lutam em casa no UFC Brasília", August 3, 2016(opens in a new tab)
In 2016 Graciemag described Yahya and Renato Moicano as black belts of professor Ataíde Junior's Constrictor Team living in the Federal District, and captioned a photo of a Moicano one-armed finish in Jungle Fight as a move taught by Yahya.
Where in the source: Photo caption and second paragraph — "golpe ensinado por Rani Yahya"
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Fernanda Prates, MMAjunkie (USA TODAY Sports), "How a loss – and the make-over it sparked – breathed new life into UFC-Lincoln's Rani Yahya's career", August 2018(opens in a new tab)
Until 2017 he trained in Brasília as his own head coach, setting himself three or four sessions a day, and in fights he suffered a fatigue in which his body would not respond; after losing to Joe Soto in March 2017 he told his team he had to change and moved his camps to American Top Team in Florida.
Where in the source: Paragraphs on the Soto loss and the move to ATT — "I'd go blank"
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At American Top Team he changed his weight cutting, recovery, warm-ups and fight-week routine and sparred far less; he admitted doubting the new protocol at first, and concluded that what counts is the number of sessions done at full capacity, not the total number.
Where in the source: Paragraphs on the changes and on sparring before the Mexico fight — "less is more"
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In 2018 he said he also teaches jiu-jitsu in Brasília and intended to keep doing so, and that his aim was not a belt as such but to reach the highest level he could so he would have nothing to regret.
Where in the source: Paragraph on teaching in Brasília and closing quotes — "not obsessed with getting a belt"
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MMAjunkie describes him as a Brazilian bantamweight from Brasília.
Where in the source: Opening sentence — "Brazilian bantamweight Rani Yahya"
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Redação Graciemag, "BJJ: Rani Yahya's heel hook adjustment from UFC Lincoln", August 28, 2018(opens in a new tab)
Against Luke Sanders in August 2018 his first heel hook grip slipped; he readjusted, spun and caught the submission, and Sanders lasted less than two minutes.
Where in the source: Second paragraph, description of the finish — "saw the technique slip"
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Redação Graciemag, "How to sink the rear naked choke with gloves on, by Rani Yahya", April 26, 2018(opens in a new tab)
In a 2018 Graciemag lesson he showed how to finish a rear-naked choke in MMA gloves against an opponent who isolates the choking arm, by switching to a ten-finger grip and bringing the trapped hand closer before finishing.
Where in the source: Second paragraph describing the lesson — "ten-finger grip"
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Redação Graciemag, "Rani Yahya on returning to sport jiu-jitsu at the Floripa Open", March 29, 2018(opens in a new tab)
In March 2018, a month after a UFC submission win, he won gold at the Floripa International Open in no-gi, submitting two opponents; he said such tournaments helped him learn to control his emotions in a fight and test himself to become a better MMA fighter.
Where in the source: Article of 29/03/2018, opening paragraph and his quotes — "control my emotional side"
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Abhishek Nambiar, Sherdog, "Rivalries: Rani Yahya", April 23, 2024(opens in a new tab)
Before his April 2024 fight Sherdog noted that one more submission win would take him past Urijah Faber for the most submission wins in the UFC's 135-pound division.
Where in the source: Second paragraph — "surpass Urijah Faber"
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UFC.com, athlete page "Rani Yahya"(opens in a new tab)
His UFC athlete page lists him as born in Brasília, training at Constrictor Team Brasília, with a record of 28-12-1 including 21 wins by submission and 7 by decision.
Where in the source: Bio panel (Place of birth, Trains at) and header record "28-12-1 (W-L-D)"
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Metrópoles, sponsored post ("Conteúdo especial"), "Rani Yahya inaugura academia de jiu-jitsu em Brasília", September 28, 2026(opens in a new tab)
A sponsored Metrópoles post of September 2026 announced that he had opened Pureflow Jiu-Jitsu in Brasília, an academy at the Military Police officers' club in the Southern Sports Clubs Sector, with classes for children, teenagers and adults at all levels, in both gi and no-gi.
Where in the source: Sponsored-content article of 28/09/2026, opening paragraph and paragraphs five and six — "Pureflow Jiu-Jitsu"
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He says he has taught jiu-jitsu for about 20 years and has helped develop dozens of black belts, and that he created Pureflow so that people who are not athletes can also have their lives changed through jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: Paragraph five and his quote in paragraph seven — "dezenas de faixas-pretas"
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In a 2026 sponsored post he was described as a fifth-degree black belt who had fought 21 times in the UFC over more than 12 years and stood out for his number of submission wins at bantamweight.
Where in the source: Paragraphs two and three — "Faixa-preta quinto grau"
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He began jiu-jitsu at 11 and, three years later, still a blue belt, won a world title; he added titles at purple and brown belt before reaching black belt.
Where in the source: Paragraph four — "ainda na faixa azul"
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Competition results
| Year | Event | Result | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | ADCC 2007Source: adcombat.com-66 kgNo-giVerified | 1st place | -66 kgNo-giVerified |
| 2005 | ADCC 2005Source: adcombat.com-66 kgNo-giVerified | 2nd place | -66 kgNo-giVerified |
Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage