Marcos Brigagao Record: 17-8-0

Knockout reputation and turbulent stretch

Brigagão bounced back quickly, scoring a second-round knockout of Marcos Conrado Jr. at Taura MMA 8 in November 2019 to close out a strong year. The period that followed was the most turbulent of his career. After a 2020 knockout loss to Fernando Batista, he traded wins and losses against quality competition – stopping veterans like Acácio dos Santos but falling to the likes of Oleg Popov and Mikhail Kolobegov. He also took a record-ineligible bout against Edivan Santos in early 2022 amid a busy, uneven run. Through the inconsistency, the constant was his power: when Brigagão connected, opponents folded.

The LFA chapter

By 2022 Brigagão had steadied himself with decision wins over Alexandre Hoffmann and Silvio da Silva, earning a look from the Legacy Fighting Alliance. In September 2023 he traveled to the United States and outpointed Jonathan Wilson by decision at Tuff-N-Uff 133, a result that set up the biggest fight of his career. In January 2024 he challenged for an LFA title against undefeated-caliber champion Bruno Lopes in the main event of LFA 175, a card billed Lopes vs. Brigagão. Lopes submitted him with an arm-triangle choke in the second round, but headlining a major North American developmental show marked the high point of Brigagão's climb.

Fighting style

Brigagão is a power-first finisher with an 88% finish rate – 12 of his 17 wins are knockouts, with three more by submission and just two decisions. As a tall southpaw, he leans on his length and one-punch danger, looking to overwhelm opponents early; many of his stoppages have come in the opening round. The flip side shows in his losses, several of which have come by submission and decision, suggesting that fighters who can survive his early pressure, drag him into deeper water or take him to the mat have found success – as Lopes did with the arm-triangle and Popov did with a triangle choke. He is at his most dangerous when a fight stays standing and stays short.

Career highlights

• 8-0 to start his career — opened his professional run with eight straight wins across the Brazilian regional scene, most of them finishes.
• LFA main-event title challenger — headlined LFA 175 against champion Bruno Lopes, the biggest stage of his career.
• 88% finish rate — a true knockout artist, with 12 of his 17 wins coming by KO/TKO, most inside the first round.