Back to the MMA Newsfeed

From 242-pound teenager to UFC talent: How jiu-jitsu changed Luigi Vendramini’s life

Luigi Vendramini was an overweight kid from Brazil who, truth be told, lacked self-awareness regarding his soccer skills. In fact, sucking so bad at playing ball led to a better life as martial artist in the “Champions League of MMA.”

Vendramini scored the biggest win of his MMA career in October 2020, stopping Jessin Ayari in devastating fashion at UFC Fight Island 4 in Abu Dhabi. Back to the cage eight months later at Saturday night’s UFC 263 to face Fares Ziam in Glendale, AZ, the Brazilian lightweight hopes to inspire other kids with his life story.