Welcome to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), big boys.
UFC’s Heavyweight division has been in rough shape for some time, with both ranked fighters and up-and-coming prospects failing to inspire much excitement. Some would argue the division hasn’t looked this thin in more than a decade.
Matchmaker Mick Maynard, however, appears to be addressing the problem head-on.
In recent months, the promotion has gone out and added fresh blood to its roster, from former Professional Fighters League (PFL) champion, Ante Delija, to Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida (though only one of them delivered in his debut).
Now, three more fresh faces are set to join the 265-pound mix.
First up is Max Gimenis (6-1), a decorated BJJ competitor who has captured titles at the World, Pan American and Brazilian National championships. Despite his grappling pedigree, nearly all of his mixed martial arts (MMA) wins have come by knockout — and all but one ended inside two minutes. The knock on him? He’s faced weak competition, with only one opponent owning a .500 record.
For what it’s worth, he was submitted by Nicky Rod at the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational (CJI 1) in 2024.
Next is Jose Luiz (6-1), better known as “Montanha.”
Training out of Gile Ribeiro Team in Curitiba, Brazil, the 6’4” powerhouse made his professional debut in 2016, notching two wins before disappearing from competition for five years. Since returning in 2021, he’s competed sparingly, but he brings a 100 percent finish rate with four submissions and two knockouts.
His lone career loss came against Contender Series alum, Richard Jacobi, in 2022.
Finally, the most intriguing of the trio: Marek Bujlo (6-0) of Poland.
A true finisher, Bujlo has ended all six of his fights inside two minutes, splitting wins evenly between knockouts and submissions. The 31-year-old relies on a simple, but effective, formula: drag his opponent to the ground quickly, overwhelm them with strikes, or snatch a quick tap.
He’s really fun to watch.
While none of these signings can yet be called blue-chip prospects, they’re exactly what UFC’s Heavyweight division needs: fresh names, finishing ability and the potential to shake up one of the roster’s weakest weight classes.
As of now, no official debut dates have been announced, but don’t be surprised if fight news comes sooner rather than later.
