Wikipedia: Gabriel GonzagaGabriel Gonzaga
"Napao"
Wins on the mat — every scramble is a trap.
Fight Plan: Gabriel Gonzaga
A coach-ready game plan — historical weaknesses opponents have exploited and what to drill in camp.
- Chin durability against high-volume or heavy hitters
- Gas tank often fades significantly after the first round
- Statuesque striking defense when backed against the cage
- High-pace pressure in rounds 2–3 to drain output
- Set traps for the overhand — chin has been tested
- Stack southpaw sparring partners in camp
- Underhook battles and posture work off the back
Fighter fingerprint
Six-axis profile — the shape tells you the style at a glance.
Finishing and Aggression are the standout edges; opponents should expect their game plan to lean on these.
- Aggression80
- Cardio60
- Wrestling74
- Fight IQ70
- Distance Control76
- Finishing94
Prep for camp: Gabriel Gonzaga
Recommendations a coach can act on tomorrow — opponent tendencies, drills, and the sparring styles to stack against this fight.
- Threatens devastating head kicks from a heavy-footed orthodox stance
- Uses power-overhand rights as a setup for clinching or double-leg takedowns
- Relies on top-heavy pressure and elite positional control once on the ground
- Force a high-pace round 1 — break the gas tank early
- Set the overhand trap — chin has cracked under clean shots
- Posture and frame drills off bottom — never give up the back
- Southpaw pressure striker
- Black-belt grappler comfortable on bottom
- Switch-stance technician to simulate game-plan changes
See it on film
Every read above should be verifiable. Jump straight to the footage on the platforms that host it legally — official channels first, archive sites second.
Clinch work, level changes, control time
Last 3 performances, full rounds and post-fight breakdowns
Coaches: official clip embeds per fighter are coming next — for now, deep links open searches pre-filtered to Gabriel Gonzaga.
How Gabriel has changed
Trend lines across the last three years of tape.
Synthesized from recent fight tape · refresh to recompute
Stylistic neighbors
Closest matches across attributes, finish profile, and discipline — useful for sparring partner selection.
Status / Injuries
No recent major injuries reported.
Checked 6/21/2026
Recent Form
- L2018-05-05vs Aleksander EmelianenkoTKO · R2 · RCC: Russian Cagefighting Championship 2
- L2016-04-10vs Derrick LewisKO/TKO · R1 · UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos
- W2015-12-11vs Konstantin ErokhinU-DEC · R3 · The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale
- L2015-04-11vs Mirko FilipovicKO/TKO · R3 · UFC Fight Night: Gonzaga vs. Cro Cop 2
- L2014-12-13vs Matt MitrioneKO/TKO · R1 · UFC Fight Night: Dos Santos vs. Miocic
Availability
Has been intermittently active in MMA and Boxing since his UFC departure.
Attribute Profile
Scouting Summary
Gabriel Gonzaga is an elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and world champion who successfully transitioned into a dual-threat heavyweight. Best known for his historic head-kick knockout of Mirko Cro Cop, Gonzaga pairs world-class grappling with massive striking power, though his career was often hampered by a declining chin and limited endurance in later rounds.
Primary source ↗Tendencies
- Threatens devastating head kicks from a heavy-footed orthodox stance
- Uses power-overhand rights as a setup for clinching or double-leg takedowns
- Relies on top-heavy pressure and elite positional control once on the ground
- Prefers to utilize 'ground and pound' to soften opponents for submissions
Signature Moves
- Right Head Kick
- Guillotine Choke
- Overhand Right
- Rear-Naked Choke
Weaknesses
- Chin durability against high-volume or heavy hitters
- Gas tank often fades significantly after the first round
- Statuesque striking defense when backed against the cage