Claudio Ribeiro arrested on domestic violence charge in Brazil

Former UFC middleweight Claudio Ribeiro was arrested Wednesday on a domestic violence charge in Varzea Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

MMA Fighting confirmed the news following an initial report from Globo. According to the report, Ribeiro told police he struck his wife during an argument. She called authorities after sustaining a broken nose from a punch to the face, the report states. Representatives for Ribeiro declined to comment.

Ribeiro's UFC and Karate Combat career

Ribeiro, who holds a 13-6 MMA record with knockouts in every victory, went 1-3 across four UFC appearances between 2023 and 2024. He defeated Joseph Holmes but dropped bouts to Abdul Razak Alhassan, Roman Kopylov and Christian Leroy Duncan, all by knockout.

The 34-year-old found better form in Karate Combat, posting three straight knockout wins since late 2025. He stopped Jayden Eynaud, Michel Borges and Curtis Millender in that stretch.

No court date has been announced.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Ex-UFC fighter Claudio Ribeiro arrested on domestic violence charge in Brazil