5 Defining Moments: Bruno Cappelozza

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight legend Matt Hughes once famously claimed that you aren’t a real champion until you defend your championship once. While things run a bit differently in the Professional Fighters League, 2021 PFL heavyweight titleholder Bruno Henrique Cappelozza is called to defend his status as champion this year. Cappelozza started the new season on the right foot by smashing Stuart Austin in the opening round of their clash in April, pocketing six points for a spot in the playoffs. Now, he is set to face Matheus Scheffel at upcoming PFL 5 on June 24, where he will put his five-bout winning streak on the line.

In advance of Cappelozza’s upcoming clash with Scheffel, a look at five of the moments that have come to define his career:

Welcome to the Jungle

Cappelozza made his professional mixed martial arts debut on Dec. 11, 2010, when he faced Joao Paulo Pereira. Unfortunately, his first pro fight ended with a defeat for Cappelozza, who was forced to tap due to an arm-triangle choke at the 3:34 mark of Round 1. Seven days later, Cappelozza signed with Jungle Fight to compete at Jungle Fight 24. Again, the Corinthians MMA standout had to learn a harsh lesson as he was disqualified due to illegal punches at 1:58 of the opening period. Still, joining JF was the right move. After accumulating some more experience in the gym, Cappelozza returned to action and scored three consecutive wins, his first winning streak. Cumulatively, Cappelozza ended his JF run with five victories and three defeats.

O Campeao Esta Aqui

While fighting under the JF banner, Cappelozza captured two championships. First, he took home the 220-pound championship after crushing Francisco Sandro da Silva Bezerra at Jungle Fight 82. On that occasion, Cappelozza showcased some refined ground-and-pound action thanks to which he opened a cut on his opponent’s head which he continued to target, forcing the referee to stop the action at 4:17 into Round 1. Cappelozza subsequently won the light heavyweight championship following a back-and-forth battle with Klidson Abreu at Jungle Fight 87. That time, Cappelozza defeated his opponent with a third-round technical-knockout stoppage.

A Plane to Japan

Cappelozza never hid that he got into MMA because he used to watch Wanderlei Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mauricio Rua, Quinton Jackson and many other legendary Pride Fighting Championships contestants putting on epic battles in Japan. When Cappelozza was offered the chance to compete in the inaugural Rizin Fighting Federation “Saraba no Utake” event, he took it on the fly. Unfortunately, his first foray into the “Land of the Rising Sun” ended with a nasty defeat for Cappelozza. On Dec. 29, 2015, Cappelozza suffered a first-round knockout loss at the hands of Teodoras Aukstuolis. Cappelozza returned for another stint in Japan three years later, but he lost again by knockout at Rizin 11, where he locked horns with future Ultimate Fighting Championship 205-pound titleholder Jiri Prochazka. On that occasion, the fight ended after 101 seconds.

Joining the PFL

It took almost three years for Cappelozza to bounce back from the loss to Prochazka. He found the right motivation to compete again after the PFL scouts convinced him to compete in the 2021 Season. The decision was providential for Cappelozza, who destroyed all the opponents who dared cross his path en route to the final. He made his promotional debut on May 6, 2021, when he pummeled Ante Delija in 46 seconds. Shortly afterward, he crushed Muhammed DeReese and Jamelle Jones to secure a place in the finals. His first three PFL fights lasted a total of 4 minutes and 40 seconds, not even the time of a full round.

Tragedy in Victory

2021 will stay forever in Cappelozza’s memory. That year, he won the PFL championship after a hard-fought five-round battle with Delija, who surprised everyone by putting up a lot of resistance in the rematch. Cappelozza came close to stopping his foe with strikes in the opening frame, but Delija weathered the storm and retaliated with his arsenal in the second frame. Still, Cappelozza recomposed himself and scored more than enough to win the remaining rounds as he went the distance for the first time in his career. Ultimately, the judges rewarded the Brazilian fighter with 49-45, 49-45 and 48-46 nods and the $1 million grand prize. After the fight, Cappelozza was told that his father had passed away a few days before the clash, but his family had hidden the news from the fighter since they wanted him to stay focused on his fight.