Yorgan_De_Castro
Yorgan De Castro
Cape Verdean mixed martial arts fighter
Yorgan De Castro (born December 19, 1987) is a Cape Verdean professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is most notable for fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and of Professional Fighters League (PFL).
| Yorgan De Castro | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1987-12-19) December 19, 1987 (age 36) Mindelo, Cape Verde |
| Other names | The Mad Titan |
| Nationality | Cape Verdean and Portuguese |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 265 lb (120 kg; 18 st 13 lb) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm)[1] |
| Fighting out of | Fall River, Massachusetts, United States |
| Team | Regiment Training Center |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 14 |
| Wins | 9 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 5 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Castro was born and raised in the island of St. Vincent, Cape Verde.[2] At 18 years old he moved to Portugal and started kickboxing training, making his official fighting debut only 6 months after. He dreamed of one day fighting in the big kickboxing promotions K-1 and Glory but never believed it would be possible in Portugal.[2]
Later moving to the US to be with his family, his uncle convinced him to train at Lauzon MMA, owned by the current UFC Fighter Joe Lauzon, where he discovered MMA and started training.[2]
Early career
Starting his career in 2017, Castro compiled a 4–0 record fighting mainly for CES MMA. He was invited on Dana White's Contender Series 17 in order to compete for a UFC contract, which successfully gained through a TKO victory against Sanford Alton Meeks [3]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Castro made his UFC debut at UFC 243 on October 6, 2019, against Justin Tafa.[4] He won the fight in the first round via knockout.[5] This win earned him the Performance of the Night bonus as well.[6]
Castro was initially scheduled to face Greg Hardy on March 28, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik.[7] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually postponed .[8] However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed[9] and the bout eventually took place on May 9, 2020.[10] Castro lost the fight via unanimous decision.[11]
Castro was briefly linked to a heavyweight bout on October 4, 2020, with Ben Sosoli at UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana. However, Sosoli pulled out of the fight in late July citing an eye surgery and was replaced by Carlos Felipe.[12] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[13]
Castro faced Jarjis Danho on April 10, 2021, at UFC on ABC 2.[14] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[15]
On April 30, 2021, it was revealed that Castro was no longer with the UFC.[16]
Post UFC
Castro was scheduled to make his first appearance after his UFC release against Rakim Cleveland on August 6, 2021, at CES 63.[17] However, Castro announced that he had withdrawn from the bout due to family issues.[18]
Castro faced Danyelle Williams on November 7, 2021, at CES 65. He won the bout via unanimous decision.[19]
Eagle Fighting Championship
Castro signed a multi-fight contract with Eagle Fighting Championship and debuted against Shaun Asher on January 28, 2022, at Eagle FC 44.[20] He won the fight via guillotine choke in the first round.[21]
Castro headlined against Junior dos Santos on May 20, 2022, at Eagle FC 47.[22] Castro won the fight via TKO in the third round due to a doctor stoppage after dos Santos suffered a shoulder injury and was unable to continue.[23]
Professional Fighters League
Castro signed with PFL for the 2023 season and was to face off against Ante Delija on April 7, 2023, at PFL 2.[24] However, Delija pulled out due to injury and was replaced by Denis Goltsov.[25] In turn, Goltsov withdrew from the bout and was replaced by Danilo Marques.[26] Castro lost the bout by unanimous decision.[27]
Castro faced Denis Goltsov on June 16, 2023, at PFL 5.[28] Castro lost the bout by knockout just 18 seconds into the first round.[29]
Yorgan de Castro has stated that if he had to pick a hero, it would be Daniel Cormier due to his figure (short range and size) for the heavyweight division and unbelievable talent and determination.[2] Yorgan is married and has a daughter born in 2014.[2]
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Justin Tafa[6]
| 14 matches | 9 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 6 | 2 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 3 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 9–5 | Denis Goltsov | KO (punch) | PFL 5 | June 16, 2023 | 1 | 0:18 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Loss | 9–4 | Danilo Marques | Decision (unanimous) | PFL 2 | April 7, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 9–3 | Junior dos Santos | TKO (shoulder injury) | Eagle FC 47 | May 20, 2022 | 3 | 0:33 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 8–3 | Shaun Asher | Submission (guillotine choke) | Eagle FC 44 | January 28, 2022 | 1 | 1:04 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 7–3 | Danyelle Williams | Decision (unanimous) | CES 65 | November 7, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Providence, Rhode Island, United States | |
| Loss | 6–3 | Jarjis Danho | KO (punch) | UFC on ABC: Vettori vs. Holland | April 10, 2021 | 1 | 3:02 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 6–2 | Carlos Felipe | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana | October 4, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Loss | 6–1 | Greg Hardy | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 249 | May 9, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 | Justin Tafa | KO (punch) | UFC 243 | October 6, 2019 | 1 | 2:10 | Melbourne, Australia | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 5–0 | Sanford Alton Meeks | TKO (leg kick and punches) | Dana White's Contender Series 17 | June 18, 2019 | 1 | 4:45 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Carlton Little Sr. | Decision (unanimous) | CES MMA 54 | January 19, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Lincoln, Rhode Island, United States | Heavyweight debut. |
| Win | 3–0 | Ras Hylton | KO (punch) | NEF 36 | November 17, 2018 | 1 | 2:36 | Portland, Maine, United States | Won the vacant Fight Night Catchweight (225 lb) Championship. |
| Win | 2–0 | David White | TKO (punches) | CES MMA 50 | June 15, 2018 | 3 | 2:20 | Lincoln, Rhode Island, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | James Dysard | TKO (punches) | CES MMA 47 | November 17, 2017 | 1 | 0:39 | Lincoln, Rhode Island, United States | Light Heavyweight debut; Castro missed weight (208 lb). |
- "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- Renan Brunacci (3 October 2019). "Yorgan de Castro sabes? Veja quem é a nova sensação do UFC". Fairplay. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- MMA, LowKick (2019-06-19). "Dana White's Contender Series 17 Results: Two Fighters Earn Contracts". LowKickMMA.com. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
- "Justin Tafa vs. Yorgan De Castro elevated to UFC 243 main card – Fight News Australia". Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- Anderson, Jay (2019-10-05). "UFC 243 Results: Justin Tafa Leveled by Yorgan De Castro". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- Alexander Lee (2019-10-06). "UFC 243 bonuses: Israel Adesanya rewarded for championship-winning knockout". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
- Lee, Alexander K. (2019-12-27). "Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro announced for UFC Columbus". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
- Nolan King and John Morgan (2020-03-15). "UFC postpones three events amid growing coronavirus outbreak". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
- Brett Okamoto (2020-04-09). "Dana White says UFC 249 will not happen April 18". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- "REVISED – UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje Fight Card | MMAWeekly.com". 2020-04-27. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- Doherty, Dan (2020-05-09). "UFC 249 Results: Greg Hardy Cruises After Yorgan De Castro Injury". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- Raphael Marinho and Zeca Azevedo (2020-07-30). "UFC confirms fight between Carlos Boi and Yorgan de Castro for event in October". globoesporte.globo.com. Retrieved 2020-07-30. (in Portuguese)
- Doherty, Dan (2020-10-04). "UFC Fight Island 4 Results: Carlos Felipe Outworks Yorgan De Castro". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- DNA, MMA (2021-01-16). "Yorgan de Castro treft Jarjis Danho tijdens UFC evenement op 10 april". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
- Behunin, Alex (10 April 2021). "UFC Vegas 23 Results: Jarjis Danho Knocks Yorgan De Castro Out Cold". Cageside Press. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- Alexander, Mookie (2021-05-12). "Oskar Piechota, Yorgan de Castro among nine fighters removed from UFC roster". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- "Yorgan De Castro will be back in action against Rakim Cleveland on August 6th for CES 63". Twitter. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- "Castro vs. Cleveland Cancelled". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
- Staff (2021-11-07). "CES 65: De Castro vs. Williams Full Results". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- Behunin, Alex (2021-12-26). "Yorgan De Castro Signs With Eagle FC, Fight With Shaun Asher In The Works For January". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- "Eagle FC 44 video: UFC vet Yorgan De Castro taps Shaun Asher in 64 seconds". MMA Junkie. 2022-01-29. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- "Junior dos Santos books May 20 Eagle FC debut". ESPN.com. 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- "Loughnane-Moraes to kick off 2023 PFL season". ESPN.com. 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- Cruz, Guilherme (2023-03-22). "PFL heavyweight champion Ante Delija injured, out of Yorgan de Castro fight on April 7". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- Subramanian, Anik (2023-04-06). "Despite multiple opponent changes, Yorgan De Castro will bring his smile to the smart cage tomorrow". FightBook MMA. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- "Danilo Marques steps in as an alternate and spoils Yorgan De Castro's PFL debut". pflmma.com. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- Lee, Alexander K. (2023-05-12). "PFL announces second-half event lineups following 9 fighters receiving drug test suspensions". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- "2023 PFL 5 results: Larissa Pacheco steamrolls, victorious Ante Delija eliminated from playoffs". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. 2023-06-17. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
- Sherdog.com. "Yorgan De Castro". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-08-07.