Renato (pronounced Heh-naw-to) Da Cunha "Babalu" Sobral is a mixed martial arts fighter from Brazil, currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a member of the Gracie Barra Combat Team with a professional MMA record of 27 wins and 6 losses, with 14 victories coming by way of submission. Some of his notable achievements include defeating notable fighters Trevor Prangley, Mauricio Rua, and Jeremy Horn in a single night at IFC tournament "Global Domination".
Sobral's background is in wrestling. Before joining the Gracie Barra Combat Team, he trained in Ruas Vale Tudo, a martial arts system developed by the legendary Marco Ruas. [1]
Sobral is known throughout the UFC for his intense and grueling training regimen. Usually, this involves bench-pressing fellow workout partners, running up the steep mountains of Brazil and swimming 2000 meters in an hour. Babalu's training is some of the most intense in MMA. He seems to be doing some sort of training all day. Whether it be running, biking, swimming, surfing, or training for MMA, he is consistently active. Babalu's mountain runs are legendary. By the time of his fight, he can run up a mountain in 20 minutes or less. Sobral's nickname comes from a bubblegum he is always chewing.
At UFC 62, Sobral was soundly defeated by Chuck Liddell in a bout for the UFC Light Heavyweight championship. The match was stopped as a technical knockout at 95 seconds into the first round.
Sobral has a daughter named Maria Fernanda, which he has tattooed on his chest.
