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The Flash, The Spider and The Dragon: 3 of Brazil’s greatest MMA fighters of all time

Brazil is home to some of the greatest mixed martial artists in the history of the sport. The country has produced many living legends and champions of their industry.

However, a few truly stand out. These three men are the cream of the crop from the spiritual home of mixed martial arts.

Bibiano 'The Flash' Fernandes

Bibiano Fernandes' record speaks for itself. Pound for pound, "The Flash" is arguably the most elite athlete on the ONE Championship roster.

The 38-year-old Manaus native has risen from hardship to heroism – emerging from poverty in his homeland to embark on a professional career that has spanned almost 15 years to date.

Unbeaten since 2011, Fernandes has chalked up 14-straight wins – securing the bantamweight crown in 2013 and defending it seven times.

He came into the organization as a two-division grand prix winner with Dream in Japan, and he has continued to build a lasting legacy as ONE’s undisputed champion.

Bibiano Fernandes, ONE Championship, The Flash
Bibiano “The Flash” FernandesPHOTO: ONE CHAMPIONSHIP

On November 9 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Fernandes will return to action to defend his ONE Bantamweight World Championship at ONE: HEART OF THE LION against the Philippines’ Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, who holds the interim title. The World Title unification rematch is the co-headline feature and two years in the making.

Anderson 'The Spider' Silva

Widely regarded as one of the greatest martial artists of all time, Anderson Silva sports a record 10 consecutive world title defenses, and is set to go down in history as Brazil’s most dominant warrior.

His reign as middleweight champion of the world is one of the longest in history at 2457 days, during which he defeated the likes of Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, and Vitor Belfort.

A well-rounded athlete, he is a BJJ black belt, but his phenomenal striking is his best asset. His speed and accuracy with his punches, kicks, knees, and elbows were virtually unmatched in the cage during his prime.

Lyoto 'The Dragon' Machida

Known as “The Dragon,” Lyoto Machida is a karate master who started training at the age of three. He shot to fame in just his second professional bout, defeating future Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar by TKO.

He would go on to secure 14-straight professional wins to earn his shot at the light heavyweight world title, which he won by handing Rashad Evans the first defeat of his career by knockout.

Machida also went on to challenge for the middleweight crown, and has chalked up victories against all-time greats like Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin, Randy Couture, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, and Dan Henderson in a distinguished career.

MMA (MIXED MARTIAL ARTS)