Jose Souza Record: 9-1-0

Climbing back and the UFC debut

Souza answered the Kinoshita loss by going back to work. He scored a third-round knockout of veteran Alan Silva at Shooto Brasil 115 in early 2023, then ground out decision wins before returning to the finishing form that defines him with a second-round knockout of the experienced Porfirio Alves at CFC 24 in late 2024. With his suspension behind him, he finally made his long-awaited UFC walk in May 2026, taking a hard-fought split decision over the durable veteran Meng Ding on a Fight Night card in Macau. The result pushed his professional record to 9-1 and validated the patience it took to reach the sport's biggest stage.

Fighting style

Souza is a knockout artist first. Six of his nine wins have come by KO or TKO – a roughly 67 percent finish rate – and that power, combined with his length, makes him a problem on the feet for anyone in the welterweight division. He uses his reach to keep opponents at the end of his strikes and turns up the volume with punches, knees and elbows in close, as his early regional finishes showed. His jiu-jitsu base from Nova Uniao rounds out the package, but it is his striking that carries his offense. The one blemish on his ledger, the knockout loss to Kinoshita, hints at the defensive sharpening still ahead as he settles into UFC competition, but his lone career defeat and his ability to also win on the cards show a fighter who can adapt when the finish does not come.

Career highlights

• Unbeaten in the UFC — opened his promotional run with a split-decision win over Meng Ding in Macau after a years-long wait to debut.
• 9-1 with a 67 percent finish rate — six of his nine professional wins have come by knockout, marking him as one of welterweight's young power punchers.
• Resilience through adversity — rebuilt his career and kept winning on the Brazilian circuit through a two-year suspension to keep his UFC dream alive.