Luiz Firmino

Luiz Firmino de Carvalho Júnior (born March 18, 1982), commonly known as Luiz Buscapé, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who fights at Lightweight. He has spent the majority of his career in Japan and has fought in Dream, Pride FC and Shooto. He now fights for the Blackzilians camp out of JACO HYbrid Training Center in Boca Raton, Florida.

Biography Firmino began his career at the tenth World Vale Tudo Championship in Recife, Brazil when he was 18 years old. The tournament was held in one night and was fought under Vale Tudo-style rules. After defeating Reginaldo Santana and Sergei Bytchkov, he reached the final and faced Eli Soares. The fight lasted for thirty minutes with no breaks and Soares won by decision.

Firmino then returned two years later at the M-1 Global event MFC: Russia vs the World 3 in Saint Petersburg, Russia where he again beat Sergei Bytchkov, by technical knockout in the second round. At Russia vs the World 5 the following year, he defeated Musail Allaudinov via unanimous decision after one fifteen-minute round. After winning his next four bouts - three by submission - he was given a chance to compete in the Pride Fighting Championships.

Pride Fighting Championships Firmino faced off against Hiroyuki Abe at his first Pride fight, Pride Bushido 4 in July 2004, and won by using an arm triangle choke in the first round. Firmino then returned against Masakazu Imanari three months later at Pride Bushido 5 at won by unanimous decision. After this early success, he lost his next two bouts (against countryman Luiz Azeredo and Tatsuya Kawajiri) by decision in 2005. In November 2006, Firmino took on Nobuhiro Obiya at Pride Bushido 13 and won the fight by yet another unanimous decision.

Dream Pride FC then shut down, however, and Firmino soon signed with Dream. He made his debut with the organization at its first event, Dream 1, in March 2008 where he submitted Kazuyuki Miyata with a rear-naked choke seven minutes into the first round. At Dream 3 two months later, he was given the opportunity to avenge his earlier loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri. He was unable to do this, however, and was beaten on a unanimous decision.

Post-Japan Firmino then left Dream after this, and won his first fight outside Japan in five years when he beat Ryan Healy in Miami, Florida at Shine Fights 2: ATT vs. The World in September 2009.

Firmino also returned to fight in his native Brazil for the first time in almost seven years when he faced Francisco Trinaldo at Bitetti Combat MMA 6, where he was submitted with a kneebar.

Firmino competed at Superior Cage Combat 3, where he lost against UFC and Pride veteran, Canadian John Alessio via decision.

Firmino defeated The Ultimate Fighter: Live alumni Johnavan Vistante by submission due to an arm-triangle choke in the first round at CFA 07: Never Give Up in Coral Gables, Florida on June 30, 2012.

Firmino defeated two-time Bellator Tournament finalist, and 2009 Submission of the year winner Toby Imada by unanimous decision at CFA 08 in Hollywood, Florida on October 6, 2012.

Firmino faced Bellator veteran Luis Palomino on January 19, 2013 for the CFA Lightweight Championship, Firmino dominated Palomino with his Wrestling and ground and pound to take home the CFA Lightweight Championship by unanimous decision. Firmino vacated the title in September 2013 when he signed with World Series of Fighting.

World Series of Fighting Firmino made his WSOF debut against Jacob Volkmann at WSOF 6 on October 26, 2013. He won the fight via unanimous decision. He then faced UFC veteran Tyson Griffin at WSOF 10 on June 21, 2014. He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision.

After almost two years away from the promotion, Firmino returned in January 2016 to face Strikeforce and UFC veteran Caros Fodor at WSOF 27. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Firmino faced Brian Foster at WSOF 33 on October 7 in Kansas City, Missouri. He lost the fight by submission in the first round.

Firmino stepped in for an injured João Zeferino to take on WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje at WSOF 34. After a back-and-forth three rounds, the bout was stopped by the doctor between rounds three and four due to Firmino's swollen right eye; the end result was a TKO loss for Firmino.

The Ultimate Fighter Firmino was as a cast member for The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians representing Blackzilians He defeated Uros Jurisic by unanimous decision to win 25 points for his team.

Championships and accomplishments Championship Fighting Alliance CFA Lightweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Rashid Magomedov Decision (unanimous) PFL 5

Uniondale, New York, United States Loss

Will Brooks Decision (unanimous) PFL 2

Chicago, Illinois, United States Win

Eddy Ellis TKO (punches) PFL: Everett

Everett, Washington, United States Loss

Justin Gaethje TKO (doctor stoppage) WSOF 34

New York City, New York, United States Loss

Brian Foster Submission (triangle choke) WSOF 33

Kansas City, Missouri, United States Win

Caros Fodor Decision (unanimous) WSOF 27

Memphis, Tennessee, United States Win

Tyson Griffin Decision (unanimous) WSOF 10

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Jacob Volkmann Decision (unanimous) WSOF 6

Coral Gables, Florida, United States Win

Luis Palomino Decision (unanimous) CFA 09: Night of Champions

Coral Gables, Florida, United States Win

Toby Imada Decision (unanimous) CFA 08: Araujo vs. Bradley

Hollywood, Florida, United States Win

Johnavan Vistante Submission (arm-triangle choke) CFA 07: Never Give Up

Coral Gables, Florida, United States Loss

John Alessio Decision (unanimous) Superior Cage Combat 3

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Francisco Trinaldo Submission (kneebar) Bitetti Combat MMA 6

Brasília, Brazil Win

Ryan Healy Decision (unanimous) Shine Fights 2: ATT vs. The World

Miami, Florida, United States Loss

Tatsuya Kawajiri Decision (unanimous) Dream 3: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Second Round

Saitama, Japan Win

Kazuyuki Miyata Submission (rear-naked choke) Dream 1: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 First Round

Saitama, Japan Win

Nobuhiro Obiya Decision (unanimous) Pride - Bushido 13

Yokohama, Japan Loss

Tatsuya Kawajiri Decision (unanimous) Pride Bushido 8

Nagoya, Japan, Japan Loss

Luiz Azeredo Decision (split) Pride Bushido 6

Yokohama, Japan Win

Masakazu Imanari Decision (unanimous) Pride Bushido 5

Osaka, Japan Win

Hiroyuki Abe Submission (arm-triangle choke) Pride Bushido 4

Nagoya, Japan Win

Rafles la Rose Submission (armbar) Shooto: Switzerland 1

Zürich, Switzerland Win

Devanir Marques Submission (punches) Conquista Fight 1

Vitória da Conquista, Brazil Win

Kohei Yasumi Decision (unanimous) Shooto - 9/5 in Korakuen Hall

Tokyo, Japan Win

Tom Kirk Submission (armbar) Shooto: Midwest Fighting

Hammond, Indiana, United States Win

Musail Allaudinov Decision (unanimous) M-1 MFC - Russia vs. the World 5

St. Petersburg, Russia Win

Sergei Bytchkov TKO (punches) M-1 MFC: Russia vs. the World 3

St. Petersburg, Russia Loss

Eli Soares Decision WVC: World Vale Tudo Championship 10

Recife, Brazil Win

Sergei Bytchkov Decision (unanimous) WVC: World Vale Tudo Championship 10

Recife, Brazil Win

Reginaldo Santana Submission (verbal) WVC: World Vale Tudo Championship 10

Recife, Brazil