Former UFC athlete and current Karate Combat fighter Claudio Ribeiro has been arrested on domestic violence charges.
Ribeiro has been charged following an alleged altercation with his wife in Varzea Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil that is reported to have left her with a broken nose and facial swelling.
GLOBO was first to report the news (h/t MMA Fighting). The incident transpired on Wednesday, with Ribeiro arrested after his wife contacted the police.
Ribeiro’s wife was later transported to hospital, where she was diagnosed with a broken nose, treated, and released.
According to the report by GLOBO, the fighter has claimed that he was acting in self defense.
Ribeiro’s wife was frequently seen and heard at his fights. The Brazilian middleweight went 1-3 in the UFC in 2023-24 after winning his way into the promotion on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. His lone victory was a TKO finish of Joseph Holmes, though he does boast a 100% knockout rate through his 13 career victories.
After posting a 13-6 record in MMA including some regional fights following his UFC stint, Ribeiro transitioned to Karate Combat. Joining the promotion in 2025, he’s now put together a 3-0 record with three finishes. Most recently, he finished fellow UFC vet Curtis Millender this past May.
