Bibiano Fernandes
Two-weight DREAM champion and longest-reigning ONE bantamweight king.
via Wikipedia: Bibiano Fernandes · see source
Bibiano Fernandes da Silva Neto (born March 30, 1980) is a Brazilian-Canadian former professional mixed martial artist and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. A professional from 2004 to 2025, he most notably competed in the Bantamweight division of ONE Championship, where he was the two-time and longest reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion, along with being the interim ONE FC Bantamweight Champion in 2013. He formerly competed in the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions of DREAM, where he was the inaugural and last DREAM Bantamweight Champion, and the inaugural DREAM Featherweight Champion. He also won the DREAM 2009 Featherweight Grand Prix, and the DREAM 2011 Bantamweight World Grand Prix. Bibiano was the company’s second two-weight champion.
Quick Facts
- Other names
- The Flash
- Birth name
- Bibiano Fernandes da Silva Neto
- Born
- 30 March 1980
- Birthplace
- Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Nationality
- Brazilian & Canadian
- Weight
- 145 lb / 65.8 kg
- Reach
- 67.5 in / 1.71 m
- Style
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Pankration
Facts from the source article.
Background
Fernandes was born in Manaus and grew up in the Coroado neighborhood, playing soccer throughout his childhood. His mother died when he was seven, and his father sent him and his siblings to live with an aunt in the Amazon rainforest by the Ituxi River. After contracting malaria there, his father brought him back to Manaus for treatment, and he attended school for the first time at age nine.
Mixed martial arts career
At 13, Fernandes was introduced to BJJ but could not afford training; his instructor allowed him to train in exchange for cleaning the gym. In his second professional fight, he lost to Urijah Faber by doctor stoppage due to a cut from elbows. His next fight was a loss to Norifumi Yamamoto. He then won four consecutive fights before entering the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix. At DREAM 11, he defeated Joe Warren by armbar and Hiroyuki Takaya by split decision to win the grand prix and become the first DREAM Featherweight Champion. He defended the title against Joachim Hansen at DREAM 13 via split decision, then lost it to Takaya at K-1 Dynamite!! 2010 by unanimous decision. In the DREAM bantamweight tournament, he submitted Takafumi Otsuka, defeated Rodolfo Marques by decision, and TKO'd Antonio Banuelos to win the grand prix and become the first DREAM Bantamweight Champion. In 2012, he was linked to a UFC bout against Roland Delorme, but the UFC said he pulled out due to injury; Fernandes stated no contract was signed.
Grappling career
A three-time IBJJF World Champion and three-time IBJJF Pan Champion, Bibiano Fernandes returned to competition at the 2024 IBJJF Pan Championship, taking gold in the Master 3 featherweight division. He lost a decision to Urijah Faber at ADXC 5 on August 3, 2024. Fernandes, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, together with Yan McCane, awarded Demetrious Johnson his first-degree black belt in April 2024.
Mixed martial arts record
Fernandes compiled a professional record of 25 wins and 6 losses. He defeated Kevin Belingon by split decision at ONE 171. Losses include a unanimous decision to Stephen Loman and a KO by John Lineker, which cost him the ONE Bantamweight Championship. He regained the title from Belingon at ONE: A New Era via DQ due to illegal elbows, then defended it multiple times: by submission against Belingon at ONE: Century – Part 2, by split decision over Martin Nguyen, by submission of Andrew Leone, by split decision over Reece McLaren, by kimura submission of Belingon, by KO of Toni Tauru, and by submission of Kim Dae-hwan. He also defeated Masakatsu Ueda by unanimous decision. Earlier in his career, he lost to Urijah Faber and Norifumi Yamamoto.
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