Rafael Natal
| Rafael Natal | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 25, 1982 Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
| Other names | Sapo |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
| Division | Middleweight |
| Reach | 76.0 in (193 cm) |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai |
| Fighting out of | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Team | Renzo Gracie Academy |
| Rank | Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhães and Renzo Gracie |
| Years active | 2005-present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 30 |
| Wins | 21 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 8 |
| By decision | 9 |
| Losses | 8 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Website | www.rafaelsapo.com |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Rafael Natal Diniz Franca (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁafaˈew naˈtaw]) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the UFC. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, Natal mostly fought in the Ring of Combat promotion before joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Natal started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and was eventually awarded his black belt by 5th degree black belt Vinicius Magalhães. Natal is also a professor (an instructor) at Renzo Gracie's academy in New York, where he trains with Márcio Cruz.
Natal's professional MMA career began in smaller shows and he compiled a record of 6–0 - which included a victory over Danillo Villefort - before scoring a minor upset victory over Silmar Rodrigo via unanimous decision.
Natal then joined Ring of Combat and made his promotional debut against Alexandre Moreno at Ring of Combat 23. Natal defeated him via KO in the first round.
This was followed up by a submission win over Plinio Cruz at Ring of Combat 24, before Natal faced Victor O'Donnell at Ring of Combat 25. Natal lost to O'Donnell via doctor stoppage after round 1.
At Ring of Combat 26, Natal was supposed to fight Sean Salmon. However, Salmon had to withdraw and was replaced by Allan Weickert. Weickert was no match for Natal, who picked up the submission victory after a rear naked choke.
Natal then competed in Moosin: God of Martial Arts against The Ultimate Fighter 4 winner Travis Lutter. In a bout dominated by striking, Natal caught Lutter with an uppercut, giving him the KO victory in the first round.
Natal then reportedly signed a deal with Shine Fights. However, in July 2010, Renzo Gracie announced on his website that Natal had instead signed a four-fight deal with the UFC.
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