Mario Pinto is embracing his nervous jitters as he seeks another vicious knockout at UFC Rio.

Pinto, 27, jets off to the Barra da Tijuca region of Rio de Janeiro this week to fight Jhonata Diniz for UFC Fight Night 261 in Brazil.

The Lisbon-born British fighter - training with Stuart Austin at Fightzone London and the likes of heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall - made his inaugural UFC appearance in March, having emerged through Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in October 2024.

He knocked out former NFL defensive end Austin Lane on his debut to take his professional MMA record to 10-0, with both of his finishes in DWCS and the UFC coming via knockout.

Pinto called his DWCS fight 'nerve-wracking,' as UFC CEO White had a front row seat for the fight, but said he'd never

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