Athletes
Prospect To Watch | Jhonata Diniz
Dana White’s Contender Series Grad Aims For His Third Win Inside The Octagon When He Faces Short-Notice Opponent Alvin Hines At UFC 317
Not many fighters have had a more frustrating 2025 than UFC heavyweight Jhonata Diniz, who’s now on his third opponent of the year despite not having competed once so far.
What makes the wait to step back into the Octagon even more difficult is how quickly Diniz had climbed the division after earning his UFC contract with a first-round TKO on Dana White's Contender Series in 2023.
Heading into the world’s toughest job interview, Diniz was undefeated, with all five of his wins in Brazil coming via first-round finish. Though he had only about a year of professional MMA experience, he brought with him a 22-7 kickboxing record, including 15 knockouts. That finishing instinct was evident when he faced Eduardo Neves in front of UFC CEO Dana White.
GET YOUR TICKETS: UFC 317 | UFC Nashville
It took Diniz a minute to settle in against Neves, who was leading the dance early and even taunting him when strikes missed their mark. But around the halfway point of the round, Diniz found his rhythm and began to let his hands go. Neves absorbed most of the damage well until Diniz landed a clean 1-2 that put him down and out. When it came time to hand out contracts, White didn’t hesitate.
Diniz made his UFC debut seven months later against former NFL defensive end turned mixed martial artist Austen Lane. Diniz’s limited MMA experience showed in the first round, as he was taken down and controlled for most of it.
But every round starts on the feet, giving Diniz another opportunity to showcase his striking, and that’s exactly what he did. Lane pressured him up against the cage, but Diniz landed a short lefthook that visibly stunned Lane. Moments later, Lane shot for a desperate takedown which Diniz was able to stuff without any issues this time around.
Diniz welcomed Lane back up to his feet and began unloading shots, each landing cleaner than the one before it. A left hook nearly dropped Lane, then Diniz followed with a straight right and another hook to seal the deal. The win earned Diniz his first Performance of the Night bonus.
WATCH: UFC 317 Embedded | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3
Four months later, Diniz’s MMA cardio was tested against Karl Williams. Having never gone past the first round until the Lane fight, a full three-round bout was new territory. The fight waslargely a kickboxing match, which favored Diniz. He controlled the pace and out-struckWilliams slightly to take rounds one and two. Williams did manage a takedown late in the third, but it was too little too late as Diniz walked away with his second UFC win.
Those two victories earned him a shot at Top 10 contender Marcin Tybura at UFC 309 inside Madison Square Garden. Much like the Lane fight, Diniz spent most of the first round on his back. The second round played out similarly, though this time Tybura landed a series of punishing elbows in the final seconds that opened cuts above both of Diniz’s eyes and across his nose.
While Diniz felt fit to continue, the Octagon-side doctor called a stop to the fight right before the start of the third. It was a tough loss for Diniz, but valuable experience to learn from moving forward.
Diniz was scheduled to return in March against fellow Brazilian Vitor Petrino, who was forced to pull out of the fight. He was then rebooked to face Justin Tafa this Saturday at UFC 317, until Tafa also withdrew. Fortunately, Diniz will still get to compete during International Fight Week’s premier event, but now against undefeated UFC newcomer Alvin Hines, who’s finished six of his seven wins before the final horn.
A spotlight like UFC 317 gives Diniz the perfect stage to get his career back on track with a statement win in Las Vegas.
UFC 317: Topuria vs Oliveira took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 28, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags