Bruno Cappelozza

Bruno Henrique Cappelozza (born May 20, 1989) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently signed to the Professional Fighters League, where he competes in the heavyweight division. He is the 2021 PFL heavyweight world champion. Cappelozza has also competed in MMA promotions Rizin Fighting Federation and Jungle Fight.

Cappelozza was born in Jaú, São Paulo, Brazil, where he first began to train in mixed martial arts. He commenced his martial arts journey at the age of 7, participating in disciplines such as karate, judo, and capoeira. Subsequently, he transitioned to Muay Thai, eventually making his debut in MMA.

Cappelozza made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2010, fighting for an MMA team owned by Brazilian soccer team Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly called Corinthians. At Corinithians, Cappelozza trained with former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

At the onset of the last decade, Cappelozza emerged as one of the promising talents in Brazilian MMA. Within his initial 10 bouts, he secured the Jungle Fight cruiserweight belt (up to 100kg), later adding the light heavyweight belt (up to 93kg) in 2016. Despite these achievements, his two international forays, both at Rizin Fighting Federation in Japan, ended in defeat. Notably, in July 2018, he faced future UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka on July 28, 2018, at Rizin 11, starting strong but ultimately succumbing to a knockout in 1 minute and 23 seconds.

Facing defeats and a series of injuries, Bruno, found himself at a career crossroads. Sidelined for months due to hand, knee, and biceps surgeries, his return to the national scene was marred by opponents backing out at the last minute. Pressure from friends and family to reconsider his life direction intensified, especially as he, his wife Jéssica, and son David lived uncomfortably in his parents' house.

Bruno faced humiliation from friends and even lost some who were unsupportive. Despite his mother's suggestion to finish his physical education degree, he remained steadfast in pursuing his fighting career. During a challenging period, he crossed paths with Ronny Markes from Dominance MMA, becoming a sparring partner for Corey Anderson in the US. While the opportunity helped financially, it meant long separations from his family, causing deep emotional strain. In response to travel restrictions amid the new coronavirus pandemic, he opted to remain in Las Vegas for over eight months, which led to his opportunity to appear in the PFL Heavyweight season that commenced in April.

Professional Fighters League

2021 Season

In 2020, Cappelozza signed with the Professional Fighters League and made his debut in the 2021 season.

Cappelozza debuted at PFL 3, scoring a 46-second KO of Ante Delija. He knocked out Muhammad DeReese in the first round of his next fight at PFL 6 to secure the No.1 seed in the 2021 PFL Playoffs.

In the Semifinals at PFL 8, Cappelozza stopped Jamelle Jones via second-round TKO to earn a place in the finals, opposite Delija, in a rematch from the 2021 PFL Regular Season.

In the PFL heavyweight championship bout at PFL 10, a back-and-forth battle with multiple knockdowns, Cappelozza defeated Delija by unanimous decision to become the 2021 PFL Heavyweight Champion.

Immediately following Cappelozza's championship win, he learned via phone that his father, Joao Cappelozza, died three days prior to the PFL Championship. His family withheld the information so he wouldn't be distracted while preparing for the fight.

2022 Season

Cappelozza launched 2022 season with a fight against Stuart Austin at PFL 2, which Cappeloza won in the first round with a knockout.

In June 2022, at PFL 5, Matheus Scheffel defeated Cappelozza via unanimous decision, in a surprising upset. Despite that loss, Cappelozza still advanced to the playoffs, due to his earlier KO. That fight was nominated for “Upset of the Year” in the World MMA Awards.

In July 2022, ESPN reported that Cappelozza would no longer compete in the PFL playoffs due to an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Mattheus Scheffel in the semifinal fight against Denis Goltsov.

2023 Season

Cappelozza started off the 2023 PFL season in a rematch against Matheus Scheffel on April 7, 2023, at PFL 2. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. On May 9, 2023, it was announced that Cappelozza had failed a commission drug test and was pulled from the season. At the NAC meeting that month, it was announced that Cappelozza was suspended 9 months for testing positive for Drostanolone and the victory was overturned to a no contest. He is eligible to return on January 7, 2024.

2024 Season

Cappelozza faced former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Vadim Nemkov on February 24, 2024, at PFL vs. Bellator. He lost by arm-triangle submission in the second round.

Mixed martial arts

• Professional Fighters League
  • 2021 PFL Heavyweight Championship