Marcos Mariano Record: 7-7-0

UFC run

Mariano debuted in the UFC at UFC 234: Adesanya vs. Silva in February 2019, drawing the dangerous Lando Vannata. Vannata caught him with a kimura in the opening round, an early exit on the sport's biggest stage. Mariano returned that September at UFC on ESPN+ 17 to face Peruvian prospect Claudio Puelles, dropping a decision over three rounds. The two-fight UFC stint did not go his way, but sharing the cage with future contenders underscored the level he had reached.

Back to the regional circuit

Released from the UFC, Mariano returned to the regional scene and reminded everyone of his finishing instincts, submitting Felipe Correia with a first-round arm-triangle choke at AFT 23 in October 2020. He closed out his run with a 2021 bout against Leonardo Rodriguez at the Budo Sento Championship, leaving him with a career record of 7–7.

Fighting style

Mariano is a well-rounded fighter whose offense splits evenly between knockouts and submissions — two of his seven wins came by KO/TKO and two by submission, with three more by decision, for a finish rate around 57%. His height and length make him a problem at range, and his arm-triangle and grappling chops give him a path to end fights on the mat. The flip side shows in his ledger: four of his losses came by submission, a sign that elite grapplers found ways to turn his own ground game against him when he faced a step up in competition.

Career highlights

• UFC competitor — earned his way onto the sport's premier stage, debuting against Lando Vannata on the UFC 234 card.
• Tested against contenders — shared the Octagon with Claudio Puelles, a future top lightweight prospect, measuring his game against elite competition.
• Finisher on the regional scene — closed his career with a first-round arm-triangle submission at AFT 23, showcasing the grappling that defined his best nights.