UFC Rio de Janeiro is starting to take shape, with reports of a heavy-handed heavyweight matchup headed to the card.<\/p>\n
The October Fight Night is still largely unknown, but it is undoubtedly the promotion’s plan to fill it out with some of their finest Brazilian talent.<\/p>\n
As per the latest reports, Brazilian GLORY kickboxer-turned-MMA fighter Jhonata Diniz will notch his second fight of 2025 against a UFC newcomer.<\/p>\n
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Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
As reported by MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz,<\/a> former kickboxer Jhonata Diniz will fight Mario Pinto, an unranked contender who knocked out Austen Lane in his UFC debut.<\/p>\n Jhonata Diniz will fight Mario Pinto at #UFCRio<\/a>\/#UFCRioDeJaneiro<\/a> on October 11th. (first rep. @guicruzzz<\/a>) #UFC<\/a> #MMA<\/a> #UFCESPN<\/a> #UFC2025<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/M2jJZMoHG4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marcel Dorff \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\udde9 (@BigMarcel24) July 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Pinto flatlined Lane in his debut back in March, swinging wide with a right hand to find the finish. Now 10-0, he finds a stiff test in Diniz, who is an exclusively standup fighter.<\/p>\n Austen Lane vs Mario Pinto | FINISH<\/p>\n On March 1, 2025, at the UFC APEX, Mario Pinto faced Austen Lane. Near the beginning of Round 2, Lane threw a flurry of punches. Pinto endured, then threw a vicious counter, sending Lane to the shadow realm. An incredible performance by the\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Lue8D1nny8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 MMAVisualized (@MMAVisualized) March 2, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Diniz last defeated debutant Hines at UFC 317. Before this, he had his 9-0 record snatched from him by Marcin Tybura. Heavyweight veteran Tybura exposed Diniz’s weakness on the ground, forcing a doctor’s stoppage after landing brutal elbows.<\/p>\n With the state of the heavyweight division right now, both of these men are one or two solid wins away from becoming a legitimate contender. UFC Boss Dana White is set to make a big announcement this week.<\/p>\n Whether it’s Tom Aspinall’s first title defense remains to be seen. Regardless, the future of UFC heavyweight is being decided at UFC Rio.<\/p>\n \u2022 Dillon Danis booked for comeback fight in KSI\u2019s MMA league<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Israel Adesanya predicts Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Max Holloway pleads with UFC for major change after latest win<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Ex-UFC double champ says Tom Aspinall stuck in Jon Jones’ shadow<\/a><\/p>\n Stick with MMAKnockout<\/a> for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n