Vanilto Antunes: A Champion’s Resolve

By Danny Jones, @Tidy_MMA on X

 

The circumstances under which Itaboraí’s Vanilto Antunes acquired the LFA Welterweight Championship are simply extraordinary.

 

With the LFA Welterweight Championship vacated in April 2023 following Trey Waters’ signing to the UFC, the Fluminense was scheduled to contest Geraldo Neto for the vacant 170 lb title at LFA 162 on July 7th 2023.

 

Vanilto, however, was forced to withdraw from that bout due to a left knee ligament/meniscus injury – an injury that later required surgical intervention in November 2023.

 

Yet, just four months post-surgery, Vanilto competed for the LFA Welterweight Championship.

 

Over 8-and-a-half months after their initial scheduled matchup, Vanilto defeated Geraldo Neto at LFA 179 via first-round TKO to become the fifth Brazilian welterweight champion in promotion history.

 

During the post-fight interview, however, the Tata Fight Team prospect revealed “I came into this fight injured tonight, my left arm wasn’t very well”.

 

Eighteen days prior to winning the LFA Welterweight Championship at LFA 179, Vanilto suffered a biceps tendon rupture.

 

“I lost power in my arm” Vanilto explains. “The pain was so hard, because [in] the fight, after the first punch, I felt a lot of pain”.

 

“But, I won” Vanilto continues. “Like my coach said, ‘Inside the cage, it’s who wants it more’, and that night I wanted it more than Geraldo Neto”.

 

Such was the extent of his injury, the Brazilian required surgery; eleven days post-LFA 179, Vanilto underwent his second surgery in less than five months.

 

Remarkably, however, Vanilto returned to professional competition just six months after his surgery. On October 8th 2024, the Fluminense competed on Dana White’s Contender Series against 10-1 Chechen athlete Islam Dulatov – a bout Vanilto described as the “Most important fight of my life”.

 

Vanilto ultimately fell short against Dulatov, but not without an admirable display of mettle. Indeed, Michael Bisping – on commentary – praised Vanilto, saying “He’s tough man, he’s tough – he’s a fighter”.

 

“It’s a part of the life of the fighter; win and lose” Vanilto says. “I wanted to compete a lot. I know how to lose and how to win – it’s part of my job. I’m fine mentally, and in the cage”.

 

“It was a dream to travel to Las Vegas and fight” Vanilto adds. “I was treated very well by UFC staff. It was a bad night, but it was a good experience”.

 

The LFA welterweight champion now looks towards his sophomore LFA bout at the promotion’s bicentennial event on January 25th 2025. Competing in the feature fight of the main card, the Brazilian contests LFA interim welterweight champion Shamidkhan Magomedov in a welterweight title unification bout; the fourth title unification bout in promotion history.

 

Vanilto certainly enters LFA 200 with a stellar resumé. Across his 16-7 professional record, the Fluminense has won fifteen bouts inside the distance, with fourteen victories via KO/TKO. In addition to a notable championship victory over former UFC athlete Wendell Oliveira, Vanilto was the only professional athlete to defeat Heraldo Souza ahead of his Season 8 Week 10 feature bout on Dana White’s Contender Series.

 

Of course, Vanilto meets a formidable opponent in Shamidkhan Magomedov. The K Dojo Warrior Tribe athlete was the only LFA champion to win two championship bouts inside the distance in 2024. Just one of Shamidkhan’s nine professional victories has gone the distance; three of his four bouts with LFA ended in the first round.

 

“In the land of title defense in a big show like LFA, I don’t have easy fights” Vanilto says. “I know [it’s] a big challenge but I’m very confident, and I know the skills and the mistakes that my opponent can do in the fight”.

 

“I’m ready to fight any part of the game, but my record says everything – I’m always going for the knockout” Vanilto adds. “My plan is to always go [for the] knockout as soon as possible”.

 

Promising to “bring a big show in the US”, Vanilto competes in just his fourth professional bout outside of his home-state of Rio de Janeiro at LFA 200.

 

If victorious, the Fluminense will become the first Brazilian LFA welterweight champion to defend the 170 lb championship.

 

A successful championship defense will certainly aid Vanilto’s pursuit of his dream; to sign with the UFC.

 

Whilst the 30-year-old concedes that his Contender Series loss was “one step back”, he remains resolute that 2025 is the year that he finally fulfills that dream.

 

“I have 100% confidence that in 2025 I go to UFC” Vanilto affirms. “I don’t know if it goes by Contender Series or a short notice fight, but when the telephone calls, I will be ready”.

 

 

Vanilto wishes to thank his family, his coaches, and “everyone for supporting him”.

 

The author extends his utmost gratitude to Vanilto Antunes, Jamie McClintock, and Caio Portella for making this article possible.

 

Translation provided by Caio Portella.

 

Image sourced from Diário do Rio (diariodorio.com).

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