Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Renato Canuto continued his successful transition to mixed martial arts at Tuff-N-Uff 151, submitting Luciano Ramos with a first-round armbar to move to 3–0 in his MMA career.
The lightweight bout showcased Canuto’s evolving striking game early on, as he worked kicks and side kicks while switching stances. Canuto transitioned to full mount and began systematically breaking down his opponent. He unleashed elbows from multiple angles while targeting both the body and head.
The finish came via a unique straight armbar directly from mount. Commentators noted the unconventional technique, which applied immense twisting pressure without requiring Canuto to sit back in the traditional manner. Referee stopped the contest at 3:47 of the first round.
Prior to the bout, Canuto had been candid about his approach to MMA, revealing a deliberate strategy to develop his striking game while keeping his elite grappling somewhat hidden. He explained his mentality of wanting to experience full-contact striking after years of grappling-focused training.
“I guess also trying to keep it in a way where it’s like not a secret for sure, you know, if people are always going to know I’m a jiu-jitsu guy, but for as long as I can, if I can just strike and I can use that while, you know, the level is still allows me to, that’s where I’m trying to really get my experience,”
Canuto told interviewer.
Despite his intentions to showcase his striking, Ramos’s takedown attempt ultimately led Canuto back to his comfort zone, where his technical superiority proved decisive.
Canuto has been open about his motivations for moving to MMA, describing himself as an entertainer more than a competitor. He expressed that he had been missing the entertainment aspect in jiu-jitsu competition, where tactical matches often prevented him from pushing the pace.
“I like the idea of entertaining and I like the idea of, you know, stealing the show and being the person who pushes the pace and who is in the offense,”
he explained.
Before facing Ramos, Canuto emphasized his desire for extended competition to gain more experience, rather than seeking quick finishes. He wanted the opportunity to really test himself in actual contest conditions.
With two consecutive first-round victories under his belt, Canuto has made no secret of his ultimate goal. He’s expressed urgency about reaching the UFC sooner rather than later, concerned about his competitive window.
“I really want to get into the UFC, man. I hope this is the year, you know, I hope I can do it this year and later. I don’t want to take too long where my time is, you know, maybe expiring by the time I’m hitting the big contest,”
Canuto stated.
His path to MMA hasn’t been without obstacles. Canuto revealed he faced contract troubles when initially attempting to transition from grappling to MMA, describing the situation as that left him sidelined for an extended period after a decision loss in a grappling match.
Aftert the win Canuto explained: “Jesse, I just wanted to stand up a little bit longer, get a little bit more practice.”
“With that said, super happy. This is just a piece of what the hybrid idea is, which is being able to do everything—be able to show all of my skills, not only jiu-jitsu, wrestling, striking, you know, like with some white tie. So good fun.”
Canuto appears to have found the right platform to showcase his complete skill set.
