All MMA fightersRenato Sobral
“Babalu”
MMA · Retired37-12RECORD
9KO / TKO WINS
15SUBMISSION WINS
13DECISION WINS
Profile
| Full name | Renato Sobral da Cunha |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Babalu |
| Date of birth | 7 Sep 1975 |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Birthplace | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Lives in | Garden Grove, California, USA |
| Division | Light Heavyweight |
| Team | Babalu's Iron Gym |
| Height | 183 cm (6′0″) |
| Reach | 193 cm (76″) |
| Stance | Not added yet |
| Years active | 1997–2013 |
| Status | Retired |
| Pro debut | 27 Sep 1997 |
| Last fight | Loss vs Jacob Noe, 19 Jun 2013 |
Details on this page were compiled from public information on 11 Oct 2026 (the record is as of that date). Is this you? Claim this profile to correct anything and add your photo and bio. Claim this profile
Titles and honours
- Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion
- IFC Light Heavyweight Tournament winner (2003)
- UFC Submission of the Night (x1)
- Brazilian national freestyle wrestling champion (1998)
Background
Brazilian light heavyweight from Rio de Janeiro who fought for Rings, the UFC, Affliction, Strikeforce and Bellator, and held the Strikeforce light heavyweight title. He challenged Chuck Liddell for the UFC light heavyweight title in 2006.
Fight history
49 professional fights. Newest first.
| Result | Opponent | Method | Round | Time | Event | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | Jacob Noe | TKO (punches) | 3 | 3:32 | Bellator 96 | 19 Jun 2013 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, USA | Bellator 2013 Summer Series light heavyweight tournament semi-final |
| Loss | Mikhail Zayats | TKO (punches) | 1 | 4:49 | Bellator 85 | 17 Jan 2013 | Irvine, California, USA | Bellator Season 8 light heavyweight tournament quarter-final |
| Win | Tatsuya Mizuno | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 0:31 | ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors | 24 Jun 2012 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |
| Loss | Dan Henderson | KO (punches) | 1 | 1:53 | Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II | 4 Dec 2010 | Missouri, USA | Strikeforce light heavyweight title eliminator |
| Win | Robbie Lawler | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | Strikeforce: Los Angeles | 16 Jun 2010 | California, USA | Catchweight (195 lb) |
| Loss | Gegard Mousasi | KO (punches) | 1 | 1:00 | Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg | 15 Aug 2009 | California, USA | Lost the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou | Submission (D'Arce choke) | 2 | 2:36 | Affliction: Day of Reckoning | 24 Jan 2009 | California, USA | |
| Win | Bobby Southworth | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 1 | 5:00 | Strikeforce: Destruction | 21 Nov 2008 | California, USA | Won the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | Mike Whitehead | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | Affliction: Banned | 19 Jul 2008 | California, USA | |
| Win | Rodney Glunder | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | 3 | 3:31 | Ring of Fire 30: Babalu vs. Glunder | 9 Dec 2007 | Colorado, USA | |
| Win | David Heath | Technical submission (anaconda choke) | 2 | 3:30 | UFC 74: Respect | 25 Aug 2007 | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | |
| Loss | Jason Lambert | KO (punch) | 2 | 3:36 | UFC 68: The Uprising | 3 Mar 2007 | Columbus, Ohio, USA | Fight of the Night |
| Loss | Chuck Liddell | TKO (punches) | 1 | 1:35 | UFC 62: Liddell vs Sobral | 26 Aug 2006 | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | Mike van Arsdale | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 2:21 | UFC 57: Liddell vs Couture 3 | 4 Feb 2006 | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | |
| Win | Chael Sonnen | Submission (triangle choke) | 2 | 1:20 | UFC 55: Fury | 7 Oct 2005 | Uncasville, Connecticut, USA | Submission of the Night |
| Win | Travis Wiuff | Submission (armbar) | 2 | 0:24 | UFC 52: Couture vs Liddell 2 | 16 Apr 2005 | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | |
| Win | Pierre Guillet | TKO (submission to punches) | 1 | 1:57 | Cage Rage 10 | 26 Feb 2005 | London, England, United Kingdom | |
| Win | Cyrille Diabaté | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 3:38 | Cage Rage 9 | 27 Nov 2004 | London, England, United Kingdom | |
| Win | José Landi-Jons | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | Jungle Fight 3 | 23 Oct 2004 | Manaus, Brazil | |
| Win | Jeremy Horn | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | IFC: Global Domination | 6 Sep 2003 | Colorado, USA | Won the IFC light heavyweight tournament (final) |
| Win | Maurício Rua | Submission (guillotine choke) | 3 | 3:07 | IFC: Global Domination | 6 Sep 2003 | Colorado, USA | IFC light heavyweight tournament semi-final |
| Win | Trevor Prangley | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | IFC: Global Domination | 6 Sep 2003 | Colorado, USA | IFC light heavyweight tournament quarter-final |
| Win | Marcelo Azevedo | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | Heat FC 1: Genesis | 31 Jul 2003 | Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil | |
| Loss | Chael Sonnen | Decision | Hitman Fighting 3 | 2 May 2003 | Santa Ana, California, USA | |||
| Loss | Chuck Liddell | KO (head kick) | 1 | 2:55 | UFC 40: Vendetta | 22 Nov 2002 | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | |
| Win | Elvis Sinosic | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall | 13 Jul 2002 | London, England, United Kingdom | |
| Loss | Kevin Randleman | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | UFC 35: Throwdown | 11 Jan 2002 | Uncasville, Connecticut, USA | |
| Loss | Fedor Emelianenko | Decision (unanimous) | 2 | 5:00 | Rings: 10th Anniversary | 11 Aug 2001 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Tsuyoshi Kohsaka | Decision (majority) | 2 | 5:00 | Rings: World Title Series 2 | 15 Jun 2001 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Kiyoshi Tamura | Decision (majority) | 2 | 5:00 | Rings: King of Kings 2000 Final | 24 Feb 2001 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Maurice Smith | Decision (majority) | 3 | 5:00 | UFC 28: High Stakes | 17 Nov 2000 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA | Heavyweight bout |
| Loss | Valentijn Overeem | Submission (toe hold) | 1 | 2:19 | Rings: King of Kings 2000 Block A | 9 Oct 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Tariel Bitsadze | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 2:58 | Rings: King of Kings 2000 Block A | 9 Oct 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Hiromitsu Kanehara | Decision (unanimous) | 2 | 5:00 | Rings: Millennium Combine 2 | 15 Jun 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Jacob Zobnin | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 3:20 | Rings Russia: Russia vs. The World | 20 May 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Travis Fulton | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 4:49 | Rings: Millennium Combine 1 | 20 Apr 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | Dan Henderson | Decision (majority) | 2 | 5:00 | Rings: King of Kings 1999 Final | 26 Feb 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | King of Kings 1999 tournament final |
| Win | Kiyoshi Tamura | Decision (majority) | 2 | 5:00 | Rings: King of Kings 1999 Final | 26 Feb 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Mikhail Ilyukhin | Submission (armbar) | 3 | 0:40 | Rings: King of Kings 1999 Final | 26 Feb 2000 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Brad Kohler | KO (soccer kick) | 2 | 0:50 | WEF: Goin' Platinum | 15 Jan 2000 | Georgia, USA | |
| Win | Lee Hasdell | Decision (unanimous) | 2 | 5:00 | Rings: King of Kings 1999 Block A | 28 Oct 1999 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Zaza Tkeshelashvili | Submission (kimura) | 2 | 1:11 | Rings: King of Kings 1999 Block A | 28 Oct 1999 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | Dario Amorim | TKO (submission to punches) | 1 | 2:14 | BVF 14: Circuito Brasileiro de Vale Tudo 5 | 24 Jul 1999 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | Pedro Otavio | TKO (submission to punches) | 1 | 4:34 | BVF 14: Circuito Brasileiro de Vale Tudo 5 | 24 Jul 1999 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | Augusto Menezes Santos | Submission (americana) | 1 | 0:56 | BVF 14: Circuito Brasileiro de Vale Tudo 5 | 24 Jul 1999 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | Fernando Cerchiari | KO (punches) | 1 | 4:41 | IVC 8: The Road Back to the Top | 20 Jan 1999 | Aracaju, Brazil | |
| Win | Marco Vinicios | TKO (retirement) | 2 | 4:58 | Desafio: Rio vs. São Paulo | 27 Sep 1997 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | Manoel Vicente | TKO (punches and stomp) | 1 | 6:27 | Desafio: Rio vs. São Paulo | 27 Sep 1997 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | Claudio Palma | TKO (submission to leg kicks) | 1 | 2:08 | Desafio: Rio vs. São Paulo | 27 Sep 1997 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Pro debut |