# Vítor Ribeiro

Vítor de Souza Ribeiro (born February 24, 1979) is a retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2001, he has formerly competed for Strikeforce, Shooto, DREAM, Cage Rage, Cage Force, the World Fighting Alliance, and K-1 HERO'S. Ribeiro is the former Cage Rage World Lightweight Champion and the former Shooto World Lightweight Champion.

## Professional grappling career

Vitor Ribeiro is an accomplished grappler. He has won the CBJJ Mundials (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship) four times, once as a purple belt in 1996 and three times as a black belt in three consecutive years (1999, 2000, and 2001). He competed in the ADCC World Championship in 2000 and 2003.
Ribeiro competed against Adriano Silva in a superfight at BJJ Stars 12 on April 27, 2024. He lost the match on advantages.

## Mixed martial arts career

After a brief absence from the MMA world, Ribeiro returned to competition at DREAM 8, where he dominated former Olympic wrestler Katsuhiko Nagata ending the fight with a TKO. In his next fight at DREAM 10, he lost to Shinya Aoki via unanimous decision.
On September 24, 2009, it was announced that he had signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce.
Ribeiro made his promotional debut on May 15, 2010, against undefeated Lyle Beerbohm and lost the bout via split decision.
Ribeiro's next fight for Strikeforce came against Justin Wilcox at Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Ribeiro. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
On August 8, 2013, Ribeiro announced that he has retired from a mixed martial arts competition.
In 2015, Ribeiro transitioned to becoming a referee for mixed martial arts shows. He debuted as a referee for UFC events on April 18, 2015, at UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold.
Vitor is currently the head BJJ instructor at his Manhattan academy as well as in Scotch Plains, NJ.

## Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lineage

Mitsuyo Maeda » Carlos Gracie Sr. » Carlson Gracie » André Pederneiras » Vitor Ribeiro

## Championships and Accomplishments
### Mixed martial arts

* Cage Rage
** Cage Rage World Lightweight Championship (One time)
** Two successful title defenses
* Hero's
** 2007 HERO'S Middleweight Grand Prix Semifinalist
* Shooto
** Shooto World Lightweight Championship (One time)

### Grappling

* CBJJ Brazilian Team Championships
** 2001 Brown/Black Belt Leve: Nova União, 1st Place
** 2000 Brown/Black Belt Leve: Nova União, 1st Place
** 1999 Brown/Black Belt Leve: Nova União A, 1st Place
** 1998 Brown/Black Belt Leve: Nova União, 2nd Place
** 1997 Brown/Black Belt Leve: Nova União (A), 1st Place
** 1996 Brown/Black Belt Leve: Nova União, 2nd Place

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :
| 25 matches | 20 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 2 |
| By submission | 12 | 0 |
| By decision | 6 | 3 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 20–5 | Justin Wilcox | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Ribeiro | November 19, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Jackson, Mississippi, United States | |
| Loss | 20–4 | Lyle Beerbohm | Decision (split) | Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery | May 15, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | |
| Loss | 20–3 | Shinya Aoki | Decision (unanimous) | DREAM 10 | July 20, 2009 | 2 | 5:00 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 20–2 | Katsuhiko Nagata | TKO (doctor stoppage) | DREAM 8 | April 5, 2009 | 1 | 7:58 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Loss | 19–2 | Gesias Cavalcante | KO (punches) | HERO'S 10 | September 17, 2007 | 1 | 0:35 | Yokohama, Japan | HERO'S 2007 Lightweight Grand Prix Semi-Final. |
| Win | 19–1 | Kazuyuki Miyata | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | HERO's 9 | July 16, 2007 | 2 | 1:54 | Yokohama, Japan | HERO'S 2007 Lightweight Grand Prix Quarter-Final. |
| Win | 18–1 | Ryuki Ueyama | Submission (triangle armbar) | HERO'S 8 | March 12, 2007 | 1 | 1:48 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Win | 17–1 | Daisuke Nakamura | Submission (straight armbar) | Cage Rage 19 | December 9, 2006 | 1 | 3:55 | London, England | Defended Cage Rage World Lightweight Championship |
| Win | 16–1 | Abdul Mohamed | Submission (kimura) | Cage Rage 18 | September 30, 2006 | 1 | 4:27 | London, England | Defended Cage Rage World Lightweight Championship |
| Win | 15–1 | Chris Brennan | Submission (swollen eye) | GFC: Team Gracie vs Team Hammer House | March 3, 2006 | 2 | 3:25 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 14–1 | Eiji Mitsuoka | Decision (unanimous) | MARS | February 4, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 13–1 | Jean Silva | Submission (arm triangle choke) | Cage Rage 13 | September 10, 2005 | 2 | 4:18 | London, England | Won Cage Rage World Lightweight Championship |
| Win | 12–1 | Gerald Strebendt | Submission (guillotine choke) | Cage Rage 12 | July 2, 2005 | 1 | 1:13 | London, England | |
| Win | 11–1 | Tetsuji Kato | Submission (arm triangle choke) | Rumble on the Rock 7 | May 7, 2005 | 3 | 2:32 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Loss | 10–1 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | TKO (punches) | Shooto: Year End Show 2004 | December 14, 2004 | 2 | 3:11 | Tokyo, Japan | Lost Shooto World Lightweight Championship |
| Win | 10–0 | Mitsuhiro Ishida | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Hawaii: Soljah Fight Night | July 9, 2004 | 3 | 5:00 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Win | 9–0 | Joachim Hansen | Submission (arm triangle choke) | Shooto: Year End Show 2003 | December 14, 2003 | 2 | 2:37 | Urayasu, Chiba, Japan | Won Shooto World Lightweight Championship |
| Win | 8–0 | Ivan Menjivar | Decision (unanimous) | Absolute Fighting Championships 4 | July 19, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 | Ryan Bow | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: 5/4 in Korakuen Hall | May 4, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 6–0 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: Year End Show 2002 | December 14, 2002 | 3 | 5:00 | Urayasu, Chiba, Japan | |
| Win | 5–0 | Eddie Yagin | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | WFA 3: Level 3 | November 23, 2002 | 2 | 2:23 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Hiroshi Tsuruya | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto: Treasure Hunt 10 | September 16, 2002 | 3 | 5:00 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 3–0 | Joe Hurley | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | WFA 2: Level 2 | July 5, 2002 | 2 | 1:19 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Takumi Nakayama | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | HOOKnSHOOT: Relentless | May 25, 2002 | 1 | 0:51 | Evansville, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Charlie Kohler | TKO (cut) | World Fighting Alliance 1 | November 3, 2001 | 1 | 3:50 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |

## Submission grappling record

? Matches, ? Wins, ? Losses, ? Draws :
| Result | Weight class | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Stage |
| Loss | ABS | PJ Barch | Armbar | Quintet 3 | 2018 | SF |
| Loss | ABS | Gordon Ryan | Armbar | Quintet 3 | 2018 | F |
| Win | 73KG | Caol Uno | Short choke | Polaris 5 | 2017 | SPF |
| Loss | 82KG | Fernando Terere | Referee Decision | Polaris 4 | 2016 | SPF |
| Win | 76KG | Nakamura Daisuke | Choke from back | Polaris 2 | 2015 | SPF |
| Win | ABS | Nino Schembri | Pts: 8x0 | World Expo | 2014 | SPF |
| Win | 77KG | Jason Ramsterrer | RNC | ADCC | 2003 | R1 |
| Win | 77KG | Pablo Popovitch | Points | ADCC | 2003 | 4F |
| Loss | 77KG | Marcelo Garcia | RNC | ADCC | 2003 | SF |
| Win | 77KG | Chris Brown | Pts: 3x0 | ADCC | 2003 | 3PLC |
| Win | 73KG | Michael O'Donnell | Choke | Arnold Classic | 2003 | 4F |
| Win | 73KG | Daniel Moraes | Pts: 2x0 | Arnold Classic | 2003 | SF |
| Win | 73KG | Daniel Moraes | Points | Arnold Classic | 2002 | F |
| Win | ABS | Flavio Fernandes | Armbar | Copa Leopoldina | 2001 | R1 |
| Win | ABS | Rodrigo Fernandes | Ezekiel | Copa Leopoldina | 2001 | SF |
| Win | 82KG | Bruno Fernandes | Choke | World Champ. | 2001 | SF |
| Win | 82KG | Fernando Terere | Pts: 2x0 | World Champ. | 2001 | F |
| Win | 76KG | Leonardo Vieira | Pts: 2x0 | World Champ. | 2000 | SF |
| Win | 76KG | Marcio Feitosa | Pen | World Champ. | 2000 | F |
| Win | 77KG | Rumina Sato | Pts: 4x0 | ADCC | 2000 | R1 |
| Loss | 77KG | Leonardo Vieira | Adv | ADCC | 2000 | 4F |
| Loss | ABS | Ricardo Almeida | Kneebar | ADCC | 2000 | 4F |
| Loss | 75KG | Leonardo Vieira | Pts: 6x4 | Rio x Sao Paulo | 2000 | SPF |
| Win | 76KG | Marcio Feitosa | Pts: 2x2, Adv | World Champ. | 1999 | F |
| Win | 70KG | Marco Aurelio | Points | World Champ. | 1997 | SF |
| Loss | 70KG | Royler Gracie | Adv | World Champ. | 1997 | F |
| Win | 88KG | Alexandre Soca | Pts: 5x0 | Team Nationals | 1997 | SF |
| Win | 88KG | Octavio Couto | Pts: 18x0 | Team Nationals | 1997 | F |
| Loss | 76KG | Leonardo Vieira | Pts: 24x4 | Copa Pele | 1997 | SPF |