Augusto Tanquinho

Augusto "Tanquinho" Mendes emerged from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — the historic heartland of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — to become a world-class competitor recognized across both the grappling and mixed martial arts communities. Rising through the BJJ ranks with discipline and technical precision, he captured a BJJ World Championship title that cemented his place among Brazil's elite grapplers. The nickname "Tanquinho" became inseparable from his identity, a mark of a fighter who fuses relentless aggression with championship-level technique.

Competing as a black belt and representing Brazil on the international stage, Tanquinho carried Rio de Janeiro's deep grappling tradition into global competition. His championship pedigree built the technical and mental foundation for an eventual transition into professional mixed martial arts — an arena where the submission skills and competitive mindset forged on the BJJ mats would define his identity.

Building Momentum in the Bantamweight Division

Tanquinho's evolution into professional MMA brought him to the UFC bantamweight division, where he competed under the banner of The MMA Lab — an organization known for producing well-rounded, technically complete fighters. The affiliation reflected his commitment to building a complete MMA game around his elite grappling foundation.

He opened 2017 with a standout performance at UFC Phoenix in January 2017, defeating Frankie Saenz in a bout recognized as one of the best fights of the night. The victory demonstrated his ability to translate BJJ expertise into effective MMA performance, positioning him as a contender on the edge of the UFC bantamweight top 15.

The Aljamain Sterling Matchup

That momentum set the stage for a pivotal assignment: a matchup with Aljamain Sterling, who held the No. 8 ranking in the UFC bantamweight division as of March 28, 2017. Scheduled for April 15, 2017, at UFC on FOX 24 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, USA, the bout represented a significant opportunity to climb the rankings. In the lead-up to the fight, Tanquinho expressed confidence in his preparation at The MMA Lab, stating that while Sterling was tough and athletic, no single aspect of his game stood out — a reflection of the caliber of training partners he faced daily.

Tanquinho entered a seven-week training camp for the fight. The first three weeks focused on physical conditioning and stand-up combinations before an opponent had been officially signed. Once the bout was confirmed, he dedicated four weeks to opponent-specific study. Despite the compressed preparation window, he expressed no concern over the timeline, emphasizing his intent not just to win but to deliver an impressive, crowd-pleasing performance that would push him into the UFC's top rankings.

The fight did not go his way. At UFC on FOX 24 on April 15, 2017, Aljamain Sterling defeated Augusto Mendes via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 29-28 in Sterling's favor. The closely contested scorecards reflected a competitive performance from Tanquinho, but the loss marked a meaningful setback in his pursuit of a top-15 bantamweight ranking. Sterling's athleticism and well-rounded skill set proved decisive on the night, halting the momentum Tanquinho had built with his January 2017 victory over Saenz.

Throughout his UFC career, Tanquinho's BJJ world championship background shaped an approach to competition that extended beyond simply earning victories. He consistently emphasized delivering performances that entertained fans and made a statement to the promotion — viewing standout showings as the most reliable path to UFC recognition and ranking advancement.

His structured approach to fight preparation reflected a professional discipline honed through years of high-level BJJ competition. The pattern of early general conditioning followed by detailed, opponent-specific study illustrated a methodical mindset: build the physical foundation first, then sharpen the tactical edge. This philosophy, combined with the resources available at The MMA Lab, gave Tanquinho confidence entering even high-stakes assignments on compressed timelines.

At the core of his identity remained the grappling excellence that defined his rise in Brazil. "Tanquinho" — a Brazilian BJJ world champion testing himself against the best bantamweights in the world — embodies the broader story of elite jiu-jitsu athletes carrying their mat credentials into the unforgiving environment of professional MMA, where every technical advantage must be earned under the full pressure of an opponent determined to stop them.