The Smartest Team in MMA
Founded in São Paulo, Brazil, The Fighting Nerds were born from Pablo Sucupira’s frustrations as a fighter whose brain was better than his body. Originally a marketer & copywriter, Sucupira left his career due to feeling like he wasn’t getting the credit he deserved and took up boxing and muay thai at 29 years old.
After a few fights, he realized his physicality wasn’t cut out to be in the cage & shifted his focus to coaching, inspired by mentors like John Danaher. He set out to build a team that valued intellect as much as power. His gym, formally named Combat Club São Paulo, was literally built with a hammer and a nail by Pablo himself.
Meeting the Mentor.
In 2014, Caio Borralho, a former math and chemistry teacher but also a grappler with hardly any experience in standup, was looking to expand his skillset. His friend, Bruno, put him in touch with a Muay Thai and Boxing expert who could help him. When a smaller, unassuming man walked into the gym, Borralho immediately doubted this was the coach he’d been expecting and assumed he’d have to go easy on him.
He quickly realized he’d underestimated his new coach. Pablo Sucupira put him through a crazy session, which Borralho would later describe as “the biggest ass beating I’ve ever gotten.” Just minutes in, he found himself exhausted and humbled. The two formed a bond that day. Borralho was still training with Demian Maia’s team, but over time, Sucupira became his head coach.
The Start of Something.
They built Combat Club São Paulo from the ground up, starting from a team of two, to eventually attracting skilled coaches like grappling expert Wagner Mota and Vale Tudo legend Flavio Alvaro. This blend of talent and strategy shaped a team culture rooted in intelligence and discipline. Pablo and Caio began to think about rebranding the team to capture their unique philosophy.
Sucupira’s marketing background proved invaluable. Brainstorming ideas, he finally shouted out, “The Fighting Nerds.” The name stuck immediately. Caio: “I was instantly like, ‘That’s the name. That’s the name that consumes everything.’” The Fighting Nerds identity was born.
The Identity
The glasses, taped in the middle to reflect the “nerd” stereotype, have become the uniform of The Fighting Nerds. For Caio Borralho, who has worn glasses since age 3 due to astigmatism and myopia, they’re not just a gimmick, they’re a declaration of a mission to try and break the stigma that glasses and strength do not align and also a foreshadowing of their highly analytical approach to their gameplans. Once something he was embarrassed to wear, his glasses are now a badge of honour. The Fighting Nerds wear these glasses to and from the Octagon, even placing them on the person doing their post-fight interviews, most recently Jean Silva on Joe Rogan at UFC 303. This small act reinforces their message: that the best fighters are those who use their minds as well as their fists.
Sucupira’s marketing background proved invaluable. Brainstorming ideas, he finally shouted out, “The Fighting Nerds.” The name stuck immediately. Caio: “I was instantly like, ‘That’s the name. That’s the name that consumes everything.’” The Fighting Nerds identity was born.
The Roster
The Fighting Nerds have introduced a roster of unique talent to the UFC, each fighter using a clear gameplan & strategy to keep opponents off-balance. Caio Borralho, the first Nerd to enter via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, is now ranked #6 in the middleweight division with an 8-0 record. Carlos Prates, the only smoking UFC fighter (yes, smoking), made waves by handing Li Jingliang his first career KO and will be hoping for a win over the welterweight division gatekeeper, Neal Magny at UFC Vegas 100.
Mauricio Ruffy’s unorthodox striking led to a first-round finish of Jamie Mullarkey. Jean Silva scored back-to-back knockouts over Charles Jourdain and Drew Dober, and Bruna Brasil rebounded from a loss in 2023 to defeat the UK’s Molly McCann. Additionally, Thiago Moises, a former American Top Team mainstay, joined for his latest fight camp against Ludovit Klein, showing that The Fighting Nerds’ strategic approach is taking over the modern-day MMA game.
- Caio Borralho
- Carlos Prates
- Mauricio Ruffy
- Jean Silva
- Thiago Moises
- Bruna Brasil
- and many more to come...
The "Nerd" Philosophy
Borralho shared how the team’s scientific approach breaks fights into three stages: establishing range, mastering movement to make opponents miss, and finally, closing in with calculated aggression. Training is still rigorous, of course, performing drills to perfect distance control and well-timed striking over and over again. For each fight, Borralho and the nerds compile detailed tape study of their opponents’ patterns, strikes, and cage work, studying every nuance down to Cannonier’s signature right hand in his last fight.
“We’re very specific in our training,” Borralho said. “We’re a bunch of nerds, you know! We approach fighting in a different way. We are analyzing everything, statistics, mechanics, movements, and patterns. We are just different in this game.” Bruna Brasil, who recently represented The Fighting Nerds in Manchester, also agrees, emphasizing that “hard work, dedication, and the will to improve” define the team’s philosophy.
We’re very specific in our training, We’re a bunch of nerds, you know! We approach fighting in a different way. We are analyzing everything, statistics, mechanics, movements, and patterns. We are just different in this game.
-Ciao Borralho
The MMA Takeover
The Fighting Nerds are the talk of the MMA world, and for good reason. Their influence is only growing. Their recent rebrand and sharp new branded gym and tracksuits show their growth, but the real game changer comes on November 11th. An exclusive merch drop in collaboration with Full Violence. But the real takeover is in the Octagon. Caio Borralho has his sights set on the ultimate test, calling out Israel Adesanya and positioning himself for a shot at the middleweight throne. While Carlos Prates is looking to crack the top contenders by taking on Neal Magny, rising stars Jean Silva and Mauricio Ruff are stacking up wins with highlight-reel knockouts, and Bruna Brasil is set to make her next move soon. The Fighting Nerds are more than just a team and they’re leaving their mark on MMA culture, one calculated move at a time.
